Eclipse of the Heart
by SinisterChic
Summary: COMPLETE BS TW AX Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future.
1. Paradox

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Rated- R (sexual situations)

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter One- Paradox

Buffy leapt at Spike and they both flew back toward the staircase. He grabbed her, pinning her against the stairs. He let out a chuckle. Buffy hated the sound. She punched him, and he reciprocated the move. His fist hit her face hard. It should have burned, but it didn't. 

Spike lifted her up so that he could look in her face. His expression was full of amusement. 

Smirking, the vampire said, "I wasn't planning on hurting you . . . Much."

"You haven't even come close to hurting me!" she threw back. 

Please, hurt me, Buffy silently begged. She was desperate to feel. Feel anything. Since returning to earth, all she'd been was numb. Pain, joy, sadness . . . they had all vanished. She was a void of nothing. 

"Afraid to give me the chance?" Spike retorted. 

Disgusted, Buffy broke his hold. She tossed him against the feeble wall. The impact of his body made an indent. The wall split, cracking. The slayer gripped Spike, slamming him against it.

"You afraid I'm gonna-?" Spike started to say. 

The sentence was interrupted by Buffy smashing her mouth against his. He returned the kiss with passion. Buffy took her hand and slammed it into the crumbling wall, creating another whole. 

The pair stumbled away from the wall, still in a lip-lock. The bleach-blonde slammed his slayer into another section of the wall. The cracks widened, spreading up above them. 

Buffy shoved Spike away, toward another wall. She came at him again, resuming the kissing. His hands lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She reached down between them, groping for her target. She found it. Her fingers unbuttoned his jeans and then took hold of the zipper. She yanked him free.

Buffy rose, and then impaled herself. He filled her, joining their bodies together. And for the first time in what seemed like forever . . . Buffy could feel. 

They both stared at each other in shock. Buffy was amazed. This dead thing had the ability to make her feel alive. How ironic. 

She began to move up and down. Her rhythm was slow, savoring every plunge. She let out a tiny grunt of pleasure.

Their faces moved in to kiss. Spike turned them around, pushing Buffy back against the wall. She reached up and grabbed the wall to steady herself. 

The chandelier fell from the ceiling. It crashed to the floor. The abandoned house disintegrated around the vampire and slayer as they united. The floorboards broke apart. 

Spike and Buffy continued on, not caring about the atmosphere around them. Buffy mewed and gasped from the intensity of their mating. Spike nuzzled his head against her breast. 

Buffy leaned forward, embracing Spike. They tumbled backwards, the floor giving away beneath them. They landed with a thud, a cloud of debris floating around them. 

Buffy quickened her pace. Things became blurry and all she was aware of was the friction. 

A cold hand brushed her cheek. Then it came up and ran through her hair. 

"Oh God, Buffy, I love you so much," Spike murmured. 

She should have slapped him. She should have scrambled off him. This wasn't supposed to be about affection. This was about harsh emotion. Yet, she was too far gone to care. 

The waves hit her and she cried out. Vaguely, in the background, she could hear Spike shout out as well. When she calmed, however, he was still making noise. She gazed down at him, noting how his eyes rolled back in his head. The sound he made wasn't from pleasure, but rather from agony. 

"Spike?" Buffy asked, not in concern, but in confusion. What was going on? 

The slayer lifted herself off him. She crawled away quickly. She watched in horror as he convulsed. Finally, the shakes slowed to tiny twitches, and then ceased altogether. Spike lay there, panting. 

The bleached-blonde turned his head to meet her eyes. They stared at each other in alarm. 

Spike rose up, getting to his knees. He gasped for air, filling his lungs fully with the substance. He took his hand and placed it over his heart. Then his blue eyes shot to Buffy again. The orbs were full of fright and puzzlement. 

"What did you do to me?" Spike demanded. 

Buffy got to her feet. She fixed her leather skirt, smoothing it down. 

"What I did!?" she exclaimed. 

Spike took another gulp of air. "I'm breathing, slayer," he informed. 

She gaped, a loss for words. 

"Now I'm going to ask again, 'What did you do to me?' "

Anger could be seen on her face. "Why do you automatically think I did this to you?"

He laughed manically. "I was all right before all this. Now my lungs are working and my heart seems to want to beat." He said all this accusingly. 

"Hello, this little thing we did was a mutual act. If screwing each other made you alive, then we're both to blame," Buffy defended.

"I can't be alive," Spike mumbled. 

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Because dead people breath and have a pulse," she replied with sarcasm. 

Spike stood up. He zipped up his pants and fastened his belt. He took a foot and kicked some of the rubble with fury. 

"Arrrrr! Bloody hell!" Spike screamed. He shifted to Buffy. "I don't want to be a weak human. Change me back!" 

"Let me just wave my wand and reverse it," Buffy spat. 

"If what we did did this, then maybe . . . If we again . . . It could right . . ."

Buffy's green eyes widened. "No! This is the end of this freak show. Never again will I touch you, Spike."

Giving her an unconvinced look, Spike said, "Right."

Buffy shook her head. She spun around, prepared to leave. 

"And what, you're just going to leave me here!?"

She stopped, looking back. "I left Dawn alone." Then she continued walking away. 

Spike rushed over. He locked his arms around her shoulders, keeping her in place. She could feel hot air hit the side of her face. 

"You aren't leaving. I won't let you," the former-vampire said. 

She shoved him off her. She was surprised at how easy it was. Maybe he really was a full-blown human now. 

She faced him. "You aren't my problem." 

Spike's expression changed. It showed pleading-ness. 

"Please, Buffy," Spike begged. "Help me."

Buffy softened. "What do you want me to do?"

"Get the scoobies together. Find out what happened. I need to know if this is permanent or not."

Silence fell over them. Finally, Buffy answered. 

"Fine. We'll do research. On one condition."

"What's that, luv?"

She looked him directly in the eyes. "You are not going to mention a word of what went on here. I swear to God if you do, I will kill you vamp or not."

"What if what happened here is related to my humanness?"

"Don't say a word to my friends! That is the deal, take it or leave it."

Hesitantly he nodded. 

"Okay, come on," Buffy commanded. "We need to get moving. Unless you want to test your skin's reaction to ultraviolet rays."

Spike clenched his jaw, but followed the slayer willingly. 

____________________________________________________

What do you guys think? Please let me know. This plot is going to get really cool. At least, I think it is. 


	2. Human Tendencies

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoiler for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Two- Human Tendencies

The ex-vampire walked behind Buffy, lost in his thoughts. The pounding in his chest exploded in his ears. Breathing burned his chest. His eyesight wasn't as keen in the darkened night. As much as he hoped against it, there was no doubt about it- he was human.

If he was human, then who was he? He couldn't be the demon. That meant he had a soul. Was he William with Spike's memories? He didn't feel like William. He didn't have the urge to write poetry. He glanced at Buffy and had to contradict that thought. Okay, maybe Buffy did arise the poet in him, but he had no inclination to use any words such as effulgent. 

How could this happen? He enjoyed being a member of the undead. He could drink to excess, smoke without the risk of cancer, and run a mile without breaking a sweat. There were also no rules for vampires. They took what they wanted- who they wanted, and didn't have pesky morals to stand in their way. Being immortal was fun. Now he was bound by law. He had to watch his health again. Not to mention, how he was homeless. A crypt was no place for a mortal. 

Damn her, Spike silently cursed. Buffy may think she had nothing to do with this, but what else could have caused his sudden metamorphosis? Their shagging was the only solution. He had said that she came back wrong. Maybe she had. Her new state could have brought the change.

They approached Revello Drive and Spike let out a sigh of relief. It was only a matter of minutes before the scoobies got together to figure out what was going on. This might not be forever. He could be back to his regular self by tomorrow night.

The Summers' residence came into view. Soon they were walking up the steps to the front door. The slayer and bleach-blonde entered the house to find it dark. The only illumination came from the glowing television screen in the living room. Some sitcom was on and a laugh track sounded from the speakers. 

Buffy and Spike stepped into the room, spying Dawn and Tara asleep on the couch. A pale colored afghan was draped over them. 

The slayer reached over and shook Tara. The woman opened her eyes. She looked up at them and smiled. 

"Hi," Tara greeted. She glanced over at Dawn. "I stayed with her because no one was home."

"Thanks," Buffy replied with gratitude. 

Spike leaned against the wall. He thrust his hands into the pockets of his duster. He longed for a cigarette. Being human was going to kill him. He had to laugh at the thought. Of course it was going to kill him. That is what humans did. They grew old and died.

The women turned their heads toward him. 

"Inside joke?" Buffy asked. 

He continued to laugh. He got out, "I want a fag. Can't have one, though, unless I want lung cancer. And that is so bloody hilarious because I'm going to die anyways."

"You are not going to die," Buffy affirmed. 

Still laughing, he said, "Unavoidable, pet. One of these days I'm gonna kick it."

Tara furrowed her brow. "W-What is he talking about?"

Buffy gestured to Spike. "Spike here has turned into a human. He's not handling it well."

Tara's eyes widened. "He turned into a human? How?"

Buffy gulped. "We-uh, we don't know. We were . . . fighting and all of a sudden he began to breath."

"Fighting? A demon?"

"N-No . . ." 

"We were fighting each other," Spike said. He had finally stopped his psychotic laughing. It had been replaced by a pensive expression. 

Tara looked toward Spike and then back at Buffy. "Each other? Sparring?"

"Yeah," Buffy answered too quickly.

"You're going to have to do research," Tara said. 

"We are. Tomorrow morning."

Spike stepped away from the wall. "Hey now! I thought we were goin to look into this now."

Buffy crossed her arms. "No, Spike. Non-nocturnal beings sleep during these hours."

"You don't care, do you, slayer? You don't care that my entire existence just did a u-turn."

Buffy sighed. After a few seconds she said, "No, Spike, actually I don't. One vampire off my hands. Yay. I don't really care how."

His mouth opened, hurt seen in his eyes. He shook his head, closing his mouth. 

"Fine, slayer. I don't need to take this from you. Forget about our little deal, I'm leaving." With that, Spike headed out the door.

The cool air hit him. He realized then how alive his neurons were. He could easily detect the temperature change. It was unnerving. He couldn't decide if feeling coldness was a good thing or bad.

There was only one place for him to go. He headed toward the cemetery. For some reason the thought of having to return to the crypt made him feel rejected. Oh, who was he kidding? He knew why. Buffy didn't care. She really didn't give a crumb what happened to him. 

Spike stopped, letting this all sink in. And then he knew deep down what she had been telling him all along. She would never love him back. Even now, as a human, she would only see him as a monster. 

Wetness began to accumulate in his eyes. He furiously brushed it away. Damnit, he probably did have a soul. He was acting all poofter-like. 

"Spike!"

Spike spun around toward the voice. Buffy stood in the driveway.

"What do you want?" Spike asked, exasperated. 

"Come back inside," she instructed. "There's a cot in the basement."

A flutter rose up in his chest. Maybe she did care. A little. No, Glinda probably put her up to it. Sweet Tara, she cared about everyone. 

Against his better judgment, Spike came back toward the house. He reentered the house, Buffy behind him. 

Tara was there to meet them. She smiled. "Well, I better be going. Tell-Tell Willow I said hello."

The white witch left.

Buffy pointed to the couch where her sister slumbered. "I would give you the couch, but it is occupied."

"That's all right. Wouldn't want to wake the girl," Spike commented. 

The slayer led him to the basement. She gathered some blankets and a pillow for him. 

"It's pretty dark down there," Buffy said. 

"I'm used to it."

"Yeah," she softly said. 

"G-night, slayer."

"Goodnight, Spike."

Spike crept down the wooden steps into the basement. He noted how cold it was. It was true that he was used to the dark, but it had never seemed this black before. It closed in around him, swallowing him up. He lay himself down on the cot, wrapping the blanket tightly around his form. At that moment he felt very much alone. 

_______________________________________________

Oh geez, I feel very sorry for Spike. I mean, think about it. He just turned human after 100 and some years as a vamp. He is so confused. And he has no friends. Except maybe Tara and Dawn. And Buffy treats him like crap. *cry* Poor Spikey. What am I doing to you? 

*wink* Seriously, though, you will love what I have planned for this story. And go me, getting this part out so quickly. 


	3. Shell Shock

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Three- Shell Shock

Luckily Spike had a dreamless night. He had been afraid that his soul would torment him with past evil deeds. He awoke, forgetting what had happened last night, his mind a thick fog. Then it all came back to him as he drew in a deep breath. He sat on the cot for awhile, reflecting on what he was now. The concept wasn't getting any easier. Then again, it had only been a few hours. 

The ex-vampire dragged himself off the portable bed. He slowly made his way up the stairs and into the kitchen. The aroma of something appealing wavered in the air. He scanned for the source, seeing Dawn flipping pancakes in a skillet. A strange sound came from his stomach. It had been so long since that had happened, and he wasn't sure what it was for a moment. It hit him all of a sudden that it was his stomach growling. 

"Got enough batter for two?" Spike asked. 

Dawn shrieked, jumping in surprise. She spun around to see Spike. 

"Oh my God, you scared me!" Dawn burst out. 

Spike smiled. Even as a human he still had sneaking ability. 

"Sorry, bit," he apologized. He really wasn't that sorry. He was glad that he could still frighten someone. 

Dawn turned back to the food she was cooking. "Why are you here, Spike? Did you spend the night?"

"Yeah, I slept on the cot downstairs," he informed. 

"So, uh, do you have enough for two?" Spike asked again. 

The teen scooped the pancakes on a white porcelain plate. They were darker brown than they should have been, but they weren't burnt. 

"Sure," Dawn said. "I'm not as good as Tara, but they're edible."

She put the plate on the island. Spike gathered a stack of them for himself. He spread butter on them and drowned them in maple syrup. He dug in, amazed at how potent the taste was. As a vampire he had liked food, but it had never been this enjoyable before. He couldn't wait to get a hold some spicy buffalo wings from the Bronze.

Spike could sense someone watching him. He raised his head to spot Dawn eyeing him with curiosity. 

"Is it really that good?" she questioned. 

"Not bad," Spike commented. 

She giggled. "I've never seen you gobble food up like this before. I remember our popcorn and movie nights. You never ate this way."

Spike swallowed the last piece of the breakfast. "I'm just famished, that's all."

"Shouldn't you be going to the butcher's shop then?"

The bleach blonde wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. Then he hopped down from the stool he had been sitting on. 

"Big sis didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Dawn demanded. 

"I'm human now."

At that, Dawn exploded into laughter. She bent over, consumed by giggles. 

"What?" Spike asked, clearly not finding the humor. 

She pointed at him. "That one was good."

Spike blinked. Did she not believe him?

"You should try that one on Xander."

"This isn't a joke, nibblet."

Dawn wiped the tears from her face. Her laughter came to a halt. She examined him for a long time. She noticed the slight rise of his chest as he took in air. 

"Oh my gosh!" she shrieked. "You really are alive."

She came over and touched his hand. "You're warm. Wow! This is amazing!"

The man snatched his hand back. "This isn't amazing. This is a nightmare."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "No, Spike, this is a miracle. Think about it, you can go out and see the sun. Get a real place and a job."

"I don't want a house and job! I want to go on forever living in a dank, dark tomb, drinking blood, and doing what I bloody well please."

Just then the door opened. In came Willow and another girl with light brown hair, along with a stream of sunshine. Out of habit, Spike dashed out of the ray's path. 

"Hey," Willow greeted. 

The girl she was with stood beside her. She wore a tight black shirt and a short skirt. She gave a tiny smile. 

"Willow, where've you been?" Dawn asked. 

"Out." She gestured to the girl. "With Amy."

"Amy?"

"Amy, the rat," Willow clarified. 

Dawn widened her eyes. "The witch?"

Amy raised her hand. "That's me."

"Wow."

"So you used to be a rat?" Spike questioned. 

The females turned to him, seeming to notice him for the first time. 

"Yeah, I was a rat. Willow changed me back," Amy said. 

"I used to be a vampire. Think she could change me back?" 

Amy shrugged. "I bet she could. She's a freaking amazing witch now. I couldn't even keep up with her last night. I mean, I can do some transmography, but she is messing with dimensions and everything, it was awesome! This blowhard dude, first she made his mouth disappear? Thank god."

Spike looked at Willow. "Sounds like you could do it. Please, turn me back," he pleaded. 

The redhead glanced from Spike to Dawn. "What is he talking about?"

"Spike's a human now. Isn't it cool?" Dawn said. 

"It is not 'cool'!" Spike snapped. "Like I said before, 'It is a bloody nightmare'."

"T-To change you back I'd sort of need to know the cause," Willow said. 

"Well, let's get Buffy and you lot can do the research bit then."

"No need getting me," Buffy told them as she entered the room. With a slight limp, she walks over to a stool to sit down. 

"Buffy, are you okay?" Dawn asked with concern. 

"I'm fine," the slayer assured her sister. 

"You're not," Dawn replied. "You're all sore and limpy."

"I-I'm not . . . sore . . . I just . . . " She looked up and met Spike's gaze. "Patrol. Had a fight."

If Spike was his usual self he probably would have made some comment to remind her of what really happened, yet not openly revealing it to the others. Instead he remained silent.

The slayer glanced over at Willow. "Did you just get home?"

"Yeah. Amy and I . . . We went out and lost track of time," the red-head answered. 

"Oh."

Amy got up from her seat. "I should go. Dad is expecting me."

"Okay, I'll call you later," Willow told her. 

"Yeah, good." Amy opened the door and left. 

Dawn stepped closer to Buffy. "We were talking about Spike's condition."

"Uh huh. He's human now," Buffy said. 

"We were also talking about lookin into it," Spike hinted. 

"Yeah. I promised Spike we'd check it out," Buffy informed. 

"Can I help?" Dawn asked with excitement. 

A sigh escaped Buffy. "Sure." What was the harm? And with another helper this matter could get wrapped up quicker. 

Dawn gave Buffy a hug. "Thank-you!"

"I don't know, guys. I'm really tired," Willow said. 

"Get some rest, Will. You can join us later," Buffy said. 

"All right. I'll meet you at the magic shop in full research mode," Willow promised her. 

Willow headed out of the kitchen. "Night, everybody."

Buffy got to her feet. "Let's get this over with."

A frown appeared on Spike's face. Did she have to make remarks like that? She kept on wanting to remind him how much of a nuisance he was. 

Buffy went over to the door. She opened it, going out. Dawn began to follow, but stopped when she realized Spike wasn't coming. 

"Spike?"

"Give a fella a second," he said. 

Spike mustered his strength, bracing himself. He cautiously moved toward the door. The sun hit him in the face. He squinted his eyes, lifted a hand to serve as a shield. His skin soaked in the heat, tingling. He blinked, focusing his fragile eyes. 

When he could see, he comprehended that both Summers girls were staring at him. Dawn looked thrilled, while Buffy's expression was unreadable. 

"You are definitely going to the beach with me, mister," Dawn stated. 

Spike studied his pale arm. He compared it with Buffy and Dawn's skin tone. They had rich tans. He found himself looking straight at Buffy. Examining her skin led to thoughts of touching it. 

Buffy looked at Spike. He could see lust there. It ended quickly, though. She looked away, forcing it away. 

Buffy began to walk toward the road. "Let's go."

Spike forced himself to move. 

_____________________________________________________

I had planned on including more in this chapter, but it was getting kind of long. So, the magic shop stuff will come next chapter. 


	4. Identity

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Yes, Buffy is treating Spike like crap. I am only going off how she treated him in season 6. And she will continue to do so until I give her a reason to treat him differently. 

Chapter Four- Identity

Spike wasn't much of the reading type. William had been all bookish, while the demon got his stories off the telly. He never took part in the research parties (not that he had been invited anyway). That day, though, he was eagerly scanning every page. When he came to the end, he snatched another book to search. 

Beside him, Dawn flung a heavy gray volume to the table. "I'm done with that one."

"Anything?" Buffy asked. 

"Nothing. Zip. Nada," her sister expressed. 

Anya looked up from her text. "We've been at this for hours. We're never going to find anything," she complained. 

"It's only been three hours," the slayer said. 

"Yes, and that's three hours of my time," the ex-demon commented. "If Giles were here maybe he could find something. But he's gone now and took all the valuable books."

"Maybe Anya's right," Xander spoke up. 

"Pessimists anyone?" Buffy asked. 

"All I'm saying is this is Spike here. Why are we helping him anyway?"

Buffy squirmed in her seat. "I promised him."

"And I ask . . .so?"

That was enough. It was all Spike could take. They were talking as if he wasn't even in the room. He stood up, gathered a couple books and headed out the door. If they didn't want to help him fine. He'd help himself. 

He paused outside the door for a moment. He could still hear muffled voices from in the store. They probably didn't even notice he was gone. 

The door opened. He turned, not knowing who to expect, but was extremely astonished to see Anya exit the shop. She faced Spike, eyeing the books he held. 

"You're bringing those back," she told him. 

"No worries, luv. Bring them straight back after I've had a looksie," Spike replied. 

She nodded. 

"We need to talk."

"And why's that?" he asked. 

"Because that is what humans do. They talk when they have something valuable to pass on."

"Right."

The ex-demon went over to the curb and sat down. She looked back, annoyed, seeing that he wasn't moving. 

"Well, come over here," she ordered. 

Spike sighed. He set the books down on the side-walk, and then walked over to her side. He reluctantly sat down. 

She smiled over at him. "Being human isn't so bad. You'll like it once you get used to it."

Spike didn't think he liked where this little talk was going. He'd rather not be lectured about the joys of mortal life. He went through twenty-nine years of it before and it brought him nothing but a bad reputation as a mama's nancyboy, and rejection. 

He realized Anya was still going on.

"You'll find yourself a nice woman who will give you many orgasms. And then a job that will put lots of green money in your pocket."

Spike stood up. He went over to get the books. 

Anya got to her feet as well. "Soon you won't care about changing back into a vampire. So, it is all right if we don't spend all day looking through archaic tomes."

"Gee, thanks, Anya. You've helped me tons," Spike said with sarcasm. 

Anya didn't catch the mockery in his voice. A bright smile spread across her face. "I'm glad I could aid you in this dark time."

He rolled his eyes as she bounced back into the Magic Box, probably onto the lap of monkey boy. Just then Buffy and Dawn came out. 

"Let's go," the slayer said. 

"What?" Spike questioned in disbelief.

"My house. Now."

"Are you offering me a place to stay?"

Buffy and her sister began to walk, expecting him to follow. He remained in place. 

"Why?" Spike asked. "You don't owe me anything."

Slowing down, without stopping, she said softly, "Because I haven't forgotten."

Confusion ran over him. "Forgot what?"

"What you did for me and Dawn."

Buffy continued walking and this time Spike followed behind. 

**********************

Buffy awoke, sweaty and horny. She had just dreamt about the night in the abandoned house. She lay on her back, still, trying to calm herself. She closed her eyes in attempt to return to sleep. It wasn't working. She tossed and turned. The sheets tangled around her legs. 

The thought of Spike down in the basement was not helping. He was in the same building. Obtainable if she really wanted him. Which she did. Oh God, how she did. 

She kicked off the sheets. Then she wriggled out of her blue pajama bottoms and top. She wore lacy black panties underneath, with no bra. The material was soaked through. Buffy discarded them as well. Completely bare now, she ran her fingers over her slick body. She imagined the hands were icy and masculine. 

Her right hand pinched her nipples, while her left trailed down to her pussy. She rubbed herself vigorously, bringing herself to release. She came whimpering, but instead of sating her longing, it only seemed to intensify it. 

Getting out of bed, she searched for her robe. She quickly threw it on. She crept out into the hall. The house was silent, everyone deep in slumber. She went downstairs and into the kitchen. The door to the basement called to her, beckoning her forth. 

Buffy reached for the doorknob. She hesitated. You can always turn back, she told herself. This is wrong. Bad. 

She turned the knob. The stairs creaked as she journeyed downward. 

"Spike? Are you asleep?" she whispered. 

"Slayer?" She could sense him sit up, searching for her in the dark. 

"I . . ." 

This all seemed stupid now. She wasn't even that aroused anymore. Suddenly the basement burst into illumination. Spike stood next to the light switch. She stared, transfixed by his naked chest. Okay, arousal heightening again. 

Buffy let her robe fall to the floor. She threw herself at him. She crushed her lips to his, pushing him toward the cot. They fell on the mattress. She straddled him, kissing him with fervor. 

He gently pressed her away. His clear, blue eyes met hers in inquiry. "Are you sure about this?"

"No talk." She took his hands and cupped them over her breasts. "Touch me."

He didn't need to be told twice. He prodded the erect nipples, making her moan. His fingers were switched to his mouth. He sucked and bit at them with blunt teeth. 

She was hot. Spike's hands were also hot. They weren't supposed to be hot. Why were they hot? 

Her thoughts ended, however, when she was slammed down on the cot. Spike hovered over her. He kissed her passionately. As he did, she felt flesh hit her throbbing core. Her green eyes widened in surprise and she gasped.

Spike put her feeble attempts upstairs to shame. His thumb ran up and down her slit. She was shaking as he vibrated against her clit. The orgasm hit her, ripping a scream from her throat. 

The bleach blonde looked at Buffy, smirking in conceit. He knew he was talented. 

Buffy tore the dark jeans from his lower half. Then she flipped them so that she was on top. His rock hard cock entered her heat, filling her walls to excess. She rose up and fell back down over and over. His hips were eager to join the rhythm. Their breathing quickened as the pace grew more desperate. 

Make me feel, Buffy begged. Make me real. Give me a reason to go on even if it is just to fuck you one more time. 

Finally, the explosion hit, spreading over them at the same time. His seed spilled into her with heat. Heat? 

Buffy grabbed his shoulders. Her nails dug into his skin. The expression on her face was frightening. Hollow and empty. 

Spike stroked her cheek. "Buffy?"

"Drink me," she pleaded. 

"What!?" 

"Please drink me." 

I want to know I still have life. I want to see if blood still flows through my veins or if they are worthless tubes. 

He ran his fingers through her hair. "I can't, pet. Remember?"

Dawning came over her. Everything came crashing back. And she realized who she was with. This wasn't a souless demon. This wasn't the Spike who was a thing. 

Buffy jumped off him. She wrapped the robe around her as fast as she could. Then she fled the room. 

___________________________________________

I was a little uncertain as to how that scene should have went. I almost made Buffy begin to cry and Spike hold her. But then I thought that Buffy probably would have been horrified rather than teary-eyed, so I went with her running away instead. 

Hope you all are enjoying. 


	5. New Arrivals

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Five- New Arrivals

****

2 Months Later

Spike stored the money in the register. He smiled at the woman in front of him. She smiled back. He passed the paper bag over to her. 

"Thank you for shopping at the Magic Box. Please come again," he said. 

The woman winked at him. "Oh, I will."

She walked to the door, glancing back and waving before she exited. Spike shook his head. 

Just then Anya came out from the back room. She carried a large box. She noticed her blonde colleague behind the counter.

"Spike, why are you over her? You are supposed to be by the door. Many girls are drawn to your handsomely chiseled cheek-bones and washtub abs," she told him. 

He shrugged, moving away from the register. "Fine. If you don't want me to do actual work I won't. Next time a customer comes in when you aren't around I'll just stand around and look nice."

The ex-demon set the box down on the table. Her eyes brightened. "There was a customer?"

"Yeah," he replied. "A bint with this dreadfully awful perm."

Eagerly, Anya asked, "What did she buy? How much did it cost?" 

"She got one of the incense kits. The thing with the holder, lighter, and assortment of incense sticks."

Anya rushed over to the register. She opened it to examine the green bills. "We are fifteen dollars richer."

Having a job at the magic shop sucked. It was the only option, though, considering he had no credentials or experience. Anya offered him a job. She wanted him around to flirt with the female customers, thinking it heightened business. Frankly he couldn't give a care either way. If that meant he didn't have to do anything of real importance that was fine with him.

"Next time you are going to gather the replacement merchandise," Anya informed. "I don't think you take as much pride and satisfaction as I do when dealing with consumers."

"Don't worry, pet, wasn't meaning to invade your territory. The register's all yours."

She grinned. "Thank you. Now go set up the candle display. After that, go stand next to the door."

The man reluctantly took the box Anya had retrieved from the back room. He went over to a shelf and began to put wax colored candles down on it. When he was through he went over to stand near the entrance like a good lil former vampire. 

Hours went by. Spike kept an eye on the wall clock, ready for eight o'clock to arrive. It finally came. Spike went over and grabbed his duster that was draped over the back of a chair. 

"Time for me to push off," he announced. 

"It's eight already?" Anya whined. "I was hoping to sell at least one statue today."

"Sorry to disappoint, luv." 

"Well, good-bye, Spike. I can close on my own. See you tomorrow for another bright day of satisfactory labor."

More like a waste of my time, he thought. He rolled his eyes. He slipped into his leather coat and left. It was chilly outside. The duster was no longer only for show, but also helped dispel the cold.

He took the long way home. Not because it went past Revello Drive, but because he felt like walking. Yeah right, his brain threw back. You know you want to catch a glimpse of the slayer. 

The white house numbered 1630 was dark except for the living room window. Spike stood next to the tree in their yard. He'd been there so often the oak seemed like an old friend. He squinted his eyes at the window, but couldn't see a damn thing because of the drapes. With a sigh, he pressed on.

He hadn't seen Buffy since moving into his new apartment. He invited her and the nibblet over to check the flat out, but they never showed. He was sure that Dawn would love a visit. So it must be the older sister who kept rejecting the idea. She probably was glad to be rid of him. After the night in the basement she basically avoided him. The most she said to him while he had stayed there was one sentence at a time. The majority had been about going on patrol. 

Spike moved, clinging to the shadows out of habit. Even though he was human now, he still felt the same. It was possible that he cared a little more about things, but other than that he was the same person. He didn't feel the need to change the way he acted. That fact had brought up his confusion about Angelus. How his grandsire could be totally different with the soul was something he couldn't figure out. Made him wonder if the vampire was hiding who he really was. And then he had to ask himself if the demon was hiding his good nature or the soul was hiding his evil tendencies. If he were to answer truthfully he would have to go with the latter. Angelus didn't have anything but coldness in his heart when he toiled with people's lives for fun. 

Suddenly Spike detected the scene of a fight. A teenage girl was battling a vampire. They were in the yard of a blue house. The vampire was dressed almost entirely in black leather. His hair was long, running to his shoulders. He pinned the girl down to the grass. 

Instinct took over. Spike rushed to the aid of the girl, drawing out a sharp stake from his pocket. He came to a halt as he witness the girl buck beneath the vampire. She raised a leg and kneed the blood-sucker in the groin. The vampire jumped off her, hissing in pain. 

Spike smirked. Demon or not, a male had one part in common no matter what. 

"You are going to pay for that," the vampire spat.

A grin appeared on the girl's face. "Aw, did I hurt you?" She kicked the vampire as he lunged at her. "Well, good. Let me do some more damage."

Where did this girl learn to fight? Spike wondered. He was very impressed. Most people in this town just screamed in fright. But this one had spirit. She had a chance even without his help. 

The girl revealed a stake from out of nowhere. She kicked the vampire again, preparing to strike. The weapon never made its target, however, because the vamp managed to knock it out of her hand. The wood flung through the air, landing out of reach. 

The girl did a somersault, trying to retrieve the fallen stake. The vampire tackled her before she could reach it. He snatched her by the shoulders, holding her before him. His golden eyes gleamed at her, his teeth eager to pierce through her skin. 

Spike knew it was time to intervene. He had given the girl a chance to defeat him on her own, but the odds of that were no longer looking good. He entered the scene, separating prey from predator. With the element of surprise on his side, Spike dusted the vampire in a heartbeat. The dust burst around them, settling to the ground. 

Spike turned to the girl. She was dusting herself off. 

"Not bad," Spike complimented. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"My parents," she replied, not bothering to look at him.

"And what do they do? Teach martial arts?"

"Something like that."

"Maybe we should be getting you back to them. It is much too late for you to be wondering around alone at your age."

She lifted her gaze. Her blue eyes met his with annoyance. "My age? I am quite capable. I was about to get the upper hand again before you came to the rescue."

"What are you fourteen?"

"Fifteen."

He nodded. "Figures. I know someone your age. She acts the same way. Doesn't want to be treated like a child. It isn't that you are too young to take care of yourself. This town isn't safe for anyone. Even if you can fight you aren't safe. All it takes is one good day."

"You just never stop lecturing me," the girl muttered. 

Spike furrowed his brow. 

The girl raised her head. Spike saw that she was smiling. "I didn't expect to find you so soon."

"What?" he asked in confusion. 

The girl reached out her hand to be shook. "Alexis. You don't know me yet, but I know you."

"What in the bloody hell are you talking about? You know me?"

"Yeah. Your name is Spike and you used to be a vampire."

"How do you know that?" he demanded. 

Alexis shook her head. "Not right now. We have to get to Buffy."

"Buffy? You know the slayer?"

"Yeah, she's the one that sent me here. Well, her and Giles. Now come on. We have to prepare her before he attacks."

Alexis grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the street. 

"Buffy's in trouble?" Spike inquired. 

"Maybe," Alexis responded. 

That was all Spike needed to shut his hole and follow the girl in silence. 

************************

The demon burst into Judas's lair. He was a gray creature with wrinkled skin. He surveyed the place. Judas dropped the dead girl to the floor. She was a blond. Stupid and easy to catch. He wiped the red off his mouth.

"Who the hell are you? Don't you know it is impolite to burst into someone else's home?" Judas asked.

The demon's eyes flashed red. He eyed the dead girl. Pointing, he inquired, "You gonna use the rest of that?"

Judas shook his head. He motioned to the body. "Be my guest."

The demon knelt, snapping off a leg. He brought the limb to his mouth and bit down. There was a loud crunching noise as he met bone. He continued eating until only the head remained. A burp escaped his mouth. Then he straightened, meeting Judas's gaze. 

"Now that I've fed, we can chat."

Judas stared down at the girl's head. He must have been mighty hungry. It hadn't taken the beast long to consume it all either. 

"Sure. You can start by telling me why you're here," the vampire demanded.

"I'm here because you summoned me. You brought me out of a hell dimension to do your bidding. I am at your service."

Judas blinked. He hadn't called upon any damn demon. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The demon growled. He reached out and grabbed Judas's shoulders. His nails ripped through the black t-shirt to dig into the skin beneath.

"Watch it!" Judas yelped.

"You told me to come here."

"When did I say that?"

Letting go, the demon said, "Fifteen years from now."

Judas laughed. "I think you are a little confused."

"No you are! You sent me here to help you do away with the slayer."

Judas raised an eyebrow. "Slayer, huh? Not a bad idea." 

"She turns you human. I'm here so you can prevent that."

"What?" Did he say human?

"It is the slayer's fault that all the vampires turn human and the demons are sent to hell. You hated it, missed the killing, and still wanted eternal life. So you summoned me to prevent it. So here I am."

Judas thought for a moment. So this demon claimed to be from the future? 

Not likely, but killing the slayer was appealing. If what the demon told him was actually true, it would solve the problem in the future. And if not, he still got the glory. Doing away with a slayer was a big deal. He'd be legendary. Fledglings would grovel at his feet. 

"All right," Judas declared. "We can get to business with killing the slayer."

The demon grunted in agreement.

"Hey, what should I call you?"

"I don't have a name," the demon replied.

Judas studied the creature in front of him. "Well, you're a Gestalt demon. I'll 

just call you Gestalt."

The demon didn't respond. 

"Okay then, Ges, this is the beginning of a lovely partnership."

_________________________________________________

If this seems a little familiar to anyone it is because this last part was taken from my unfinished work Eclipse: Day and Night. This actually is a rewritten attempt at that story with some added material and plot changes. 


	6. Enigma

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Six- Enigma

Buffy stepped into the living room. She turned her head over toward Dawn. Her sister was sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos, chomping away. The television was on some station with cartoons.

"Hey, Buffy!" Dawn greeted.

Buffy went over to settle beside her. "Do you have your homework done?" she asked.

There was a moment of silence. Dawn crunched into another corn chip.

"Dawn?" Buffy repeated.

Dawn sighed. "It's only a little bit," she confessed.

The older of the two grabbed the remote. She pressed the red power button. The TV screen went black. "Then . . . it will only take you a 'little' bit of time to get it finished."

A groan came from Dawn. She got up and headed to the stairs. "You become more like a mom everyday," Dawn commented. Then she was out of sight.

Buffy stood there, a little shocked. Mixed emotions clouded her brain. She was glad that she gave Dawn discipline so the teen wouldn't run wild. And, besides, that meant not having her sister get taken away. But her a parent? It scared her somewhat. And, not to mention feel regretful. She didn't want to take her mother's place. She was very confused and didn't know whether to be proud or upset with herself.

That was when the doorbell rang. Buffy took a second to clear her head before answering it.

The door was flung open to reveal none other than Spike. Annoyance came over her. She had known he would show up sooner or later, despite her act of avoiding him.

Sudden panic hit her. She tried, desperately, to push the memory from downstairs away. It wouldn't seem to disappear, though. She become angered, and not at him, which made her even more angry. It had been her that initiated the act. She had lost control, letting her urges take over, not him. But it was done now, and had been a big mistake. She looked at him and a rush of guilt flowed over her. She knew it had meant much more to him. He loved her. And she could honestly believe that now. He had a soul. 

She wanted to apologize. To tell him he wasn't a thing, and she hadn't meant to use him. Instead what came out was," Spike." Then she noticed the girl next to him. "Who's this?"

The two females met gazes. An eerie feeling passed through her. There was something about this girl, familiar somehow. She was positive that they had never met before, however. The girl was almost as tall as she was, with dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were piercing orbs of crystalline blue.

"Buffy!" Spike took a step forward, concern etched on his face. "Are you all right? You didn't come across any nasties tonight did you?"

"Huh? No. I haven't gone out on patrol yet," the slayer answered. 

"I think you should call the scoobs. This girl is spoutin some rot about how you sent her here from the future."

Buffy's eyes widened. "The future? As in time travel? Like that Back to the Future movie?"

Spike laughed. "You'd have to ask her."

The mysterious girl watched them, smiling the whole time. "Actually it was a spell," she clarified. "A car would have been much cooler. I have my permit."

"A spell?" Buffy asked. 

"Yeah. Call a meeting and I'll tell you everything. What I need to say should be for everyone."

Buffy nodded. "Let me call Xander and Anya. Willow is out somewhere with Amy. I'll tell Dawn to send her over when she gets back." She took a last glance at the girl before turning away.

*************************

The three of them headed toward the Magic Box. Buffy was deep in thought as she led the way. Her pace was quick, oblivious to the others as she moved. Spike, however, sparked up a conversation.

"So, you know me?"

The girl kept walking, not even glancing his way. "Yeah."

"So I can count on not biting the big one for awhile. What year are you from?"

"2016," Alexis answered. 

"Okay, at least I know now I won't die for another fifteen years at least."

Alexis shook her head. She glanced over. "You are scared of death, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah. When you've been undead for over a hundred years, and then suddenly develop an expiration date, it does that to you."

"You are very healthy. I doubt you're gonna die anytime soon."

"Right then." He paused. "So, how do you know me and the slayer exactly?"

Alexis averted her eyes. "I'm not allowed to say much."

"Just tell me one thing, pet. Is she happy?" He motioned his head in Buffy's direction. He stopped, gazing intently at Alexis, waiting for her response.

"Yes. She's very happy."

Spike shut his eyes, letting that sink in. She was happy. That was all he needed to know. That was all that mattered. 

************************

They finally had arrived at their destination. Xander and Anya were waiting for them. A sinking feeling came over Buffy. The gang had been reduced tremendously. Willow hardly seemed to be around anymore. Buffy felt abandoned a lot of the time. Everyone was swept up in their own lives. And Giles. . . No, she wouldn't think about that right now. 

Heads lifted as the group entered.

"So, Buff, what's the sudden get together about?" Xander wanted to know. He was sitting next to Anya at the round table as usual. She appeared to be miffed about something.

"Yeah, I want to know why Xander and I had to be interrupted from our fun," Anya commented. 

Xander glared at his fiancé. "Ahn, remember that conversation we had?"

"But, I didn't say it outright," she defended. 

A long exasperated sigh escaped Xander. He had given up. Anya would never learn when to stay quiet. He would just have to get used to it if he planned on spending the rest of his life with her. 

Buffy seemed to suddenly become reintroduced to the real world. She gestured to Alexis. "This is Alexis. She claims to be from the future."

"Jiminy Christmas," burst out Xander. "Do they have the floating cars yet?"

The teen smiled, shaking her head. 

"Darn," muttered Xander. 

"Xander, we don't even know if she is telling the truth," Buffy pointed out. 

Everyone locked eyes with Alexis. They seemed to be accusing her of some crime. She fidgeted, nervously. The atmosphere choked her.

"I can prove it," she defended. 

"How, ducks?" Spike asked. He went over to the counter and hopped up. 

"I know stuff," she said. "Remember? I knew you used to be a vampire."

"She knew you used to be a member of the undead?" Xander questioned. 

"Yeah," Alexis declared. She looked over at Xander. "And I know that Anya used to be a vengeance demon. Dawn was a mystical key. Giles is in England. Willow is a witch. She brought Buffy back from the dead after . . ."

"Oh my God," murmured Buffy. She sat down in a chair across from Anya and Xander. She hadn't really believed Alexis until now. The girl knew everything. Well, everything important that is. 

Just then Willow burst into the store. Her friends knew instantly that she was upset about something. 

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked. 

The red-head sighed. "If Amy comes around tell her to go away. She isn't my friend anymore," she told them. 

"Oh!" exclaimed Alexis. "Amy used to be a rat!"

Willow's head snapped over toward Alexis, noticing her for the first time. "Um. . . Hi."

"Hey!" 

Willow surveyed the others with confusion. 

The slayer pulled out the chair next to her. "Sit down Willow. You've missed a lot."

______________________________________________

Thanks everybody for the reviews. : )


	7. Lies?

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Seven- Lies?

Willow blinked a couple times. "So, let me get this straight. You are from the future?"

"Yes," Alexis confirmed. 

"And I thought we came across it all. Evil vamps. Big snake nasties. A hell-God." The red-head shook her head. 

"Ever come across a Gestalt demon?"

"A what?" 

"Buggering hell," muttered Spike. 

The slayer looked over at the ex-vamp in inquiry.

"Never came across one, mind you. But I have heard of them. Nasty blokes. Ugly. Rip apart anything they can get their hands on. Massive jaws and teeth that break through bone."

"Aren't they only a legend?" Anya asked. "No one has ever really seen one."

"Oh, I think people's seen em, they just haven't lived to tell the tale."

"Well, I'll be the first then," declared Buffy. She looked over at Alexis. "Tell me about this Gestalt thing. Where is it? Do you know how to kill it? Is that why you are here?"

"I have no idea where it is. All I can say is it is here in Sunnydale. It came from the future where I'm from. As for killing it . . . Decapitation often works. And yes, this is why I am here," Alexis answered all three questions. 

Xander leaned forward in his seat. "He's from the future too? How many people took this little trip through time?"

"Just me and the demon. At different times," the girl said. 

"What does this demon want?" Buffy questioned. Deep down she knew the answer. What did every evil demon dream of?

Alexis met Buffy's gaze with saddened blue eyes. "To kill you."

Silence fell over the store. The vacancy of Buffy was still too fresh. Memories of the summer without her ate away at their hearts. They didn't want to have to go through another one. 

"Figures," Buffy said. "What do I do to piss him off exactly?"

Alexis fidgeted with her fingers. "It isn't something you do, although you help." 

"What do I help with? Must be more than Shake 'n Bake."

The teenager scanned the people in the room. "This is all because of me." There were tears beginning to glisten in her eyes. 

Willow frowned, sympathetic. "What do you do, sweetie?"

"I have this big destiny. Sort of like a slayer does. I rid the world of vampires and demons. The vampires turn human and the demons are all sent to hell. The world is cleansed."

"Sounds like a big yay to me," Xander remarked. "What goes wrong?"

"Judas. He was-is a vampire. He will become human. But the thing is he doesn't like it one bit."

Spike huffed. 

The blond slayer turned toward Spike. "Care to comment?"

He shook his head. "No, carry on. Just that I can relate is all."

"He tried to kill me," Alexis went on. "Apparently he didn't succeed. He came up with a better plan than revenge instead. He summoned the Gestalt demon from hell, and sent it here to prevent the cleansing from taking place."

"By killing me?" Buffy asked. 

"Yes." Alexis paused. "You discover a prophecy about the cleansing. It mentions me. You find me to perform it."

"So that's how you know us? We find you?"

"Y-yeah. I'm the prophecy girl. We sorta . . . become friends." 

"All right. I think I get it," Buffy said. "If he kills me we never find you and the cleansing never happens. Then this Judas can remain fangy and dangerous."

"That's about it."

"Why didn't this guy come here himself?" Xander wanted to know. "What is it with villains and not wanting to get their hands dirty?"

"It wasn't by choice this time. Judas can't come back to the past. It is too risky. If a person touches themselves they . . . I don't know. Giles wasn't very explicit about that. They die somehow. Atoms can't exist two places at once. That's why I was sent. I know I'm only fifteen, but I can fight. And I'm not around to accidentally touch myself."

"Wow," Xander voiced. "This is making my head spin."

"Tell me about it," Willow agreed. 

Reaching in her pocket, Alexis drew something out. It was a folded piece of white-lined paper. She opened it up, handing it over to Willow. The witch examined the writing. Then she looked up, her eyes wide. 

"This is the spell to transport you back to the future?"

Alexis nodded. "Yeah. When this mess is all sorted out that's all ya have to do."

"I . . . I can't," Willow whispered. She gave the spell back to Alexis.

Confusion spread over Alexis's face. "Wh-Why?"

At that moment Willow looked small. Her lips trembled. "I almost did something horrible," she confessed. 

"What happened?" Buffy demanded. 

"Amy took me to see this warlock named Rack."

Spike hopped down from the counter. His expression was stern. "What!?"

Ashamed, the red-head shifted her gaze to the floor. 

"Who is this Rack?" Buffy commanded to know. 

It was Spike who answered. "Rack is dangerous. He's into the dark stuff. Black magic."

"I left!" Willow defended. "He wanted me to open up to him. I did, but . . . When I felt him, felt his evil, I left."

No one knew quite what to say. They were relieved that Willow left, but also worried that she would even consider going to such a place. 

"Don't you see now? I can't do this spell. I don't trust myself. Not yet. Not with something this big."

"What about Tara?" Alexis asked. 

"T-Tara?" Willow had difficulty saying the name. 

"Could she do it?"

"Maybe. She is so much better than I am." Willow let out a sob. 

Seeing her friend in distress, Buffy stood up. "Let's go home. It's late. We'll continue this tomorrow." She glanced at Willow. "I think everybody's tired."

************************

Alexis had two choices. She could either sleep on the couch or the cot downstairs. She chose the couch. It wasn't pitch black in the living room. She couldn't stand the dark. It was something she was born with. Not exactly a phobia. No, it didn't frighten her. It filled her with loathing. She had always hated the dark. Her mother had told her stories about when she was a baby. Ever since birth she would only fall asleep with a light on. It didn't have to be much light, but there had to be some. As a small child she grew up with a Sesame Street Count nightlight. It was her father who gave her the pink lava lamp as a replacement. She was very grateful for it. She no longer had to go through the embarrassing explanation when she had a sleepover. 

There wasn't a nightlight that night. Alexis was all right, though. Moonlight streamed in through the window. It was enough illumination so that she could vaguely make out the furniture and television. She wasn't as needy as she used to be. A little light-Light at all was enough. It kept her from feeling as if she was being suffocated. That she had to battle the shadows before they engulfed her.

She rolled over in the fold-out bed, bringing the covers up to her chin. She was having trouble sleeping. Not because of the light issue. Because she felt bad. 

She kept telling herself she hadn't been lying. She simply wasn't telling the whole truth. It was necessary. There would be grave consequences if they knew everything. Giles had been very clear on that. He told her not to tell the scoobies their future. It might change it. 

Still, Alexis wished she could spill it all. She despised lying. No! I'm not lying, she reminded herself. I'm only bending the truth a tad. That's all. Like Dad when he dented the car. He hadn't told Mom about that telephone pole for her own good. 

Alexis shut her eyes. Right then she wanted to be back in the future. She wanted to be with her family again. Not with these strangers. They weren't strangers, but they seemed like it. They didn't know her. 

Stupid girl! Alexis screamed at herself. You are acting like a baby. You aren't four years old. You are strong. What would Mom do in this situation? She'd get the job done. She wouldn't be silently whining about going home. You have a duty. An important duty. Everyone is counting on you. If you don't do this you'll die. Buffy will die. 

Alexis dispelled the thoughts from her mind. She made herself drift off to sleep. She needed her strength if she was going to kick this Gestalt demon's ass. 

_____________________________________________

So, people think they have this figured out, huh? *smirk* I'm not saying a word. Thanks for the reviews, though. 


	8. Getting To Know You

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Eight- Getting to Know You

Dawn found it odd that she was up before Buffy. It was nine o'clock and usually her sister was up at eight. Oh well, she wasn't going to wake her. This gave her the opportunity to eat whatever she wanted for breakfast.

She traveled into the kitchen. The linoleum was cold on her bare feet. The refrigerator revealed a few slices of left-over pepperoni pizza. She took two and placed them on a paper plate. Then she heated them in the microwave.

"What ya cooking?"

Dawn shrieked, spinning around. A girl about her age, wearing what looked like her black shirt and blue-jeans, stood there.

"Who are you?" Dawn asked. 

The girl smiled. "Alexis. I'm the reason for the Scooby meeting yesterday."

The microwave dinged. Dawn went over and took out her food. She set her plate down on the island. Then she turned back to Alexis. 

"So, you are staying here?" Dawn questioned. 

"Until I go back home," Alexis told her. 

"Home?"

"To the future."

"R-right," Dawn said dubiously. 

A sigh came from Alexis. She was getting tired of explaining the time travel issue. She took a deep breath and began to talk. Afterward, Dawn just stared at her. 

Eventually, Dawn came out of her stupor. "The future. Major cool. Do I ever get my driver's license? A boyfriend?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you," Alexis informed. 

"Oh come on, just a teensy bit of info," Dawn urged. 

Alexis smiled. "You don't turn out bad."

"So I get over my loser phase?"

"Definitely," Alexis assured her. 

************************

Buffy didn't want to get up. She never wanted to move again. Finally, when ten o'clock rolled around she dragged herself out of bed. She dressed in black pants and a red top. She went into the bathroom and quickly brushed her hair and teeth. 

As she made her way downstairs, the sound of giggles and murmured voices filtered through the air. A really awful smell accompanied it. 

Buffy stepped into the kitchen. Alexis and Dawn sat at the island. They both were chatting, steaming mugs of coffee set before them. 

"Hi, guys," Buffy greeted. 

"Hey, Buffy," her sister said. "Alexis told me what is going on."

"About the time travel? Good because I really didn't want to have to." Buffy took a hand and covered her nose. "What is that smell?"

"Huh?" 

"Something is making me nauseous."

Dawn held up her mug. "It must be the coffee. You always liked the aroma of coffee before."

"Not today," the slayer remarked. "I think I better go lay down again."

Buffy went back to her room. She shut and locked the door. The bed was so inviting. She settled back down with a moan. The churning in her stomach dulled slightly as she stilled, and she no longer felt like she would heave at any second.

There was a knock on her door. "Buffy, are you all right?" It was Dawn.

"Yeah, my stomach hurts. Must be something I ate."

"Oh."

"Hey, Dawnie?"

"Yeah."

"There is supposed to be another meeting at the magic shop this morning. Can you go down and tell everyone it is cancelled?"

"Sure thing. You rest and let that slayer immunity kick in."

"Yeah," Buffy replied. 

Her ears picked up two sets of feet begin to retreat. 

"How long has your sister been sick?" she heard Alexis ask. 

"It must have hit her this morning. This is the first time I've seen her get sick in forever. It's been about four years since," Dawn informed. 

It wasn't true. It hadn't hit her just this morning. Buffy had been feeling queasy for the past two weeks. She had been extremely careful about concealing it, though. She hadn't told anyone. She knew if they found out they would demand she go to the doctor. And going to the doctor never turned out well.

The pain was almost gone now. Buffy's eyes drooped. For some reason she couldn't get enough sleep lately. 

*************************

Dawn and Alexis walked to The Magic Box, getting to know each other on the way. Dawn found out that Alexis was a really nice girl. The topics of music and movies were a little hard, considering the time difference, but they found other things in common. They both loved peanut butter, boys, make-up, dancing, and the mall. They also both hated school and curfews. 

They arrived at the shop, still talking as they entered. 

"I don't know what I was thinking trying on Buffy's uniform anyway. Like I would actually try out? I mean, I should know better. Buffy was such a ditz when she was on the squad. I don't want to be like that," Dawn told her new friend. 

"Why are you here?" Anya demanded. She was dusting a shelf with crystal balls. "You can't have the meeting now. I haven't even sold one thing yet. We cannot do the meeting until someone makes a purchase."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Relax, Anya, Buffy called the meeting off. She's not feeling well."

"The slayer's sick?" 

The girls looked over to see Spike. He was lounging in a chair, his feet propped up on the table. 

"She has a stomach bug," Dawn informed. 

"Oh, well, tell her I hope she is right as rain in no time."

Dawn smiled. "Sure, I'll pass it on."

The bleach-haired male took his feet down. He stood up. "Right then, if there isn't any meeting I guess I'm off."

"But you'll be back," Anya ordered. "At one. When you're scheduled to work."

"Yeah, yeah. No problem. Be here on the dot."

With that, he headed out the door. Alexis and Dawn followed. 

"Spike!" Dawn called. 

He stopped, spinning around toward her. 

"Yeah?"

"Can Alexis and I come see your apartment?" Dawn asked. 

"Yeah, can we?" Alexis added. "I never even knew you lived in an apartment for awhile."

"I don't live there anymore?" Spike inquired. 

"Um . . . No, you live in a house"

"So, can we?" Dawn prodded. 

"Sure, bit, come on."

He led them to a door marked 52B. He put a key in the door, unlocking it. 

"Now, it's nothing posh. But it's not bad," Spike remarked. 

He swung the door open. The teens stepped inside, taking a good look around. It was kind of small, but not cramped. He didn't have that many things that needed very much space anyway. He had the bare necessities in the kitchen. The living room held a standard quality color television and stereo. There was a blue couch, with a wooden coffee table in front of it. 

Alexis spotted a stack of CDs. She went over to check them out. Sex Pistols, The Best of Woodstock, Billy Idol . . . 

"Hey, The Rolling Stones!" She snatched it up. "Can I listen?"

Spike came over and took the CD. He turned on the stereo, placing the disc into the player. Music filled the room, booming out of the speakers. 

"Come on, Dawn, let's dance," Alexis begged. 

Dawn joined Alexis, swaying to 'Paint It Black'. They giggled, clasping hands and swinging them back and forth. 

"Come on, Spike, dance with us," Dawn pleaded. 

Spike shook his head. 

"Come on," Dawn reiterated. 

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered. What is it with Summers women? Couldn't ever deny them anything.

___________________________________________

: ) So, I bet people know what is up with Buffy. And my mom can vouch for the coffee smell. *L* That bit in Spike's apartment really didn't have to do with the story. It only shows that Alexis, Dawn, and Spike get along.


	9. Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Down

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Nine- Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Down

"Can you manage the store while I run to get a sandwich?" Anya asked. 

"Gee, luv, and risk missing out on a customer?" Spike retorted. 

"I trust you, Spike. I love dealing with the money myself, but I'm really hungry."

"Sure thing, pet. Go get yourself lunch."

Anya gave him a genuine smile. "Thank-you."

The ex-demon seemed to be a in a good mood that day. A glow emanated from her. She had been very considerate, not giving demands, but rather asking Spike to do things. He found it odd, but refreshing. It put him in good spirits as well.

Just then the bell over the door sounded. Spike tilted his head to see a tall woman with long brown hair enter. She wore really short jean-shorts that showed off her long legs. It was accompanied by a tight black shirt. He watched her examine the merchandise. After a few moments, she brought her purchase up to the register. 

The woman put down some polished stones. There were ten total. 

"Are these healing rocks or something?" Spike asked, ringing them up. 

She laughed. "That's what they say. I just collect them cause they look pretty."

Spike smirked, amused. 

"Eleven fifty-two," Spike told her. 

The woman fumbled in her purse for her wallet. She took it out and counted her money. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. 

"What? Is there a problem?"

"I'm five cents short. Damn."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Spike assured her. "I'll let you have em anyway."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

Spike took a paper bag and put the stones inside it. Then he tore off the receipt and placed that inside too. 

The woman began to leave. Suddenly she stopped, turning back around. 

"My name's Mindy," she informed. 

A little hesitant, Spike said, "Nice name, ducks. I'm Spike."

Mindy smiled. "Do you like coffee?"

"I'm more of a tea person, but coffee's all right."

"Want some. Say tomorrow evening?"

Spike froze. He felt his heart rate speed up. A date? This woman wanted a date? 

"I . . . I can't," Spike eventually said. 

"Oh." Her voice expressed her disappointment. She came over, revealing a scrap piece of paper. She scribbled something on it and gave it to him. "If you change your mind . . ."

Then she was gone. Spike let out a heavy sigh. He had the urge to hit his head against the counter, but put his face in his hands instead. A gorgeous woman comes in and wants to go out and he rejects her. What a git he was! 

Buffy. It always came down to Buffy. When would he ever accept the fact that there was no hope in that aspect, and that he needed to move on?

***************************

Buffy shoved a couple stakes into her pockets. She closed the weapon chest, standing up. 

"Dawn, I'm going out on patrol!" she yelled. 

Her sister rushed into the room. "Are you sure? Do you feel all right?"

"For the last time, Dawn, I'm fine. It was food poisoning or something, but now I'm better."

"I heard you throw up this morning."

"That was this morning. I'm better. Promise."

Dawn nodded. "If you start to feel bad come home immediately."

"Sure thing, Mom," Buffy joked. 

Dawn smiled. It quickly disappeared. "What if you come across the Gestalt demon?"

"One thing I've learned as the slayer," Buffy said, "If something is too strong to defeat on the spot, run."

"Okay, but be careful."

"Have fun with Alexis," Buffy told Dawn.

"I will. We rented Dare Devil."

"Don't stay up too late."

Dawn laughed. "Now who's the mom?"

"Okay. Bye,"

"Bye," Dawn said. 

The walk to the cemetery was uneventful. She arrived, scanning the graves for anything to slay. She roamed, finding nothing.

"Here vampy, vampy, vampy," she called out softly.

She sat down on a tombstone. The place seemed dead. Ha ha. Buffy took out a stake and twirled it. 

"Buffy?"

Buffy got to her feet, spinning around. She raised the sharpened wood in her hand. 

"That would work, pet, but it wouldn't be done so cleanly anymore."

The slayer lowered the stake. "Spike, what are you doing here?" she demanded. 

"Takin a walk," he replied. 

"In the graveyard? Sorry to tell you this, but it isn't so safe for you to do that. I know you probably have issues about your macho-ness now, but you are human. And vampires tend to eat them." 

He raised an eyebrow. "Worried?"

She let out a humorless laugh. "Worried? No. It wouldn't matter to me if you walked this planet or not. But it is my duty to protect humans. And as much as I dislike it you have become part of that pool."

Spike was stung by her words. It didn't matter to her if he died or not. Why would it?

"I can do what I bloody well please, slayer! Captain cardboard went out on his lonesome and didn't get eaten. I figure I can do the same. Besides, I have many more years of experience fighting than he does. So what if I don't have super strength? I have the skill. I have better odds at surviving than your rebound boyfriend."

He showed her the metal sword he carried. "I'm prepared."

"Whatever," Buffy spat. She started to walk away. 

"I feel at home here. I know it is stupid, but part of me still thinks I belong," Spike told her. 

Buffy slowed, but didn't stop. 

"Some demons took over my crypt."

Buffy glanced back. "Spike?"

"What?"

"Shut up."

He gaped at her, hurt evident on his face. 

"Go home. You don't belong here," she went on.

"That's right," he agreed. "I don't belong anywhere."

There was a span of silence. Their eyes met and a connection ran through them. Neither of them quite fit in anywhere. Buffy had her friends, but she would always be different than them. Spike was a man who had seen too much darkness, thrust into the land of light.

Suddenly, Buffy was knocked to the side. She hit the ground, pain spreading through her body from the impact. She sat up, disoriented. Her eyes focused, seeing a green-skinned demon. It had horns shooting out of its head, and a long tail. 

She scrambled up. She threw a series of kicks and punches at the demon. He managed to toss her into a tombstone. She landed in a heap, moaning. 

Buffy heard Spike battling the demon. She managed to prop herself up to witness it. Spike danced around the creature, his duster flowing around him. He swung the blade he carried, cutting off the head. Then he wiped the weapon clean on the grass. 

Spike came over. He offered her a hand. Stubborn as she was, she refused it, getting up herself. She wobbled slightly. Hands grabbed her before she could fall. She quickly shoved them away. 

"I'm fine!" she shouted.

Buffy took a few steps toward the dead demon. The head lay next to the massive body, his white eyes wide and unseeing. Neon green blood flowed out of the neck. The stench hit her nostrils, making her gag. 

Buffy doubled over, spilling the contents of her supper. Cheese lasagna. That stuff was expensive too. 

"You're not fine, Buffy," Spike commented, coming up by her side. "Let me help you home."

"No!"

"Please, luv, you're sick. Why'd you come patrolling? You should be in bed."

"What I do is not your business. Just like you taking a walk isn't mine. Let me go my way and you go yours." 

Buffy stalked away, fighting the nausea her stomach still wanted to dish out. 

"Buffy?"

She ignored him.

_________________________________________________

Geez, Buffy can be a bitch. 


	10. Harsh Realities

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Ten- Harsh Realities

Buffy was able to make it home without puking. As soon as she entered, however, she couldn't keep it in any longer. She ran upstairs to the bathroom, not having time to shut the door. She flung up the toilet seat, throwing up her stomach's last contents. 

She collapsed to the cold linoleum. Her stomach still hurt, but there was nothing left for it to refuse. 

"How long has this been happening?"

Buffy's head snapped to the side. Alexis stood in the doorway. She had her arms crossed, looking like she had authority.

"I don't know," Buffy confessed. "It seems like forever, but probably two weeks."

"I know what is wrong, Buffy," Alexis informed. 

Fear crept into Buffy's green eyes. "Am I dying?"

"God, no!"

"What then? It sure feels like I am."

"Come on, Buffy," Alexis said, harshly. "I know what is wrong and deep down so do you!"

The slayer shook her head. 

"In the future, you have a daughter."

Tears spilled down Buffy's cheeks. She kept shaking her head, not wanting to believe it. 

A smile came to Alexis's face. "She turns out great. Or at least that's what her parents say. You love her, Buffy. And so does Spike."

"No," moaned Buffy.

Alexis came into the bathroom. She knelt down before the blonde. 

"I can't be a mother," Buffy choked out. "I'm a slayer. Slayers don't have children. They can't. What kind of environment can they provide?"

"There aren't any demons or vampires in the future. I cleanse the world, remember?" Alexis reminded. 

"I'm not the slayer in the future?"

"You're the slayer. You just don't have to slay anything."

A sob escaped Buffy. "I don't want this right now."

Alexis looked stricken. 

"And Spike? Oh God . . ."

Alexis softened. "Sometimes good things are disguised as bad things. What you think you don't want now may turn out to be exactly what your heart craves in the end."

Buffy met her gaze, water blinding her vision. Alexis reached out and hugged her. She barely knew Alexis, but right then she seemed like someone she could lean on. She held onto the girl, crying until there were no more tears.

**************************

It was morning. Another day in 2001. 

I can make it through, Alexis assured herself. She was rather proud of herself. She hadn't slipped up once. Nobody suspected that she wasn't telling the truth. The more she evaded the truth, the easier it became.

She actually felt like what she said. Just a girl that knows the slayer and her Scoobies. 

**************************

She bought a home pregnancy kit. She believed Alexis, but she had to be sure. 

The procedure was easy. She stuck the stick up inside her, and then sat on the toilet to wait for the results. No big deal, right? Yeah . . . no big deal.

When it was time, Buffy couldn't look at it right away. Finally, she mustered enough nerve. She picked up the stick.

A pink plus sign stared back at her.

The stick fell from her fingers. Her eyes landed on the wall. Numbness spread through her. She couldn't feel anything. Anything at all.

**************************

Buffy came to a halt before apartment 52B. She stared at it a long time before raising her foot and kicking the door open.

"Jesus, slayer!" Spike exclaimed, rushing over. "This isn't the bloody crypt! I'm liable for any damage." He went over to examine the door, relieved to find it still on its hinges. He shut it before facing the emotionless slayer. 

"How could you do this to me?" she questioned. 

Confused, he asked, "Do what?"

She slammed him into the wall. His head smacked against it and he winced. 

"How could you?" she asked again.

"Okay, Buffy, you're scaring me."

The expression on her face was chilling. Cold and vacant. 

She stared at him with empty eyes. She was so close, her hands pinning him in place. All of a sudden she became aware of something poking her. She rubbed against him, discovering in full what it was. 

"Buffy . . ." Spike tried to push her away. This wasn't right. He knew it. She wasn't herself. It was the basement all over again. 

Buffy held him firmly, preventing him from moving. She smashed her mouth down on his. She devoured him, her tongue leaving no place untouched. 

She hauled him into the bedroom. She threw him down on the black bedspread, jumping onto his middle. 

"This isn't right. Buffy, we should . . ."

She silenced him with her mouth. She moved against him, his bulge bringing her delight. 

"Make me feel," she begged. "Please, make me feel so I can escape. Make me forget."

It wasn't long before they had shed all their clothing. Spike pleased her not once, but twice. And they were about to embark on their third trip. 

Spike slipped down her slick surface. His tongue found her tummy, licking her bellybutton. Then it darted back inside his mouth, his lips placing tender kisses all over her abdomen. 

"Yum," he said with a smile. 

Buffy forcefully lifted his head away by the hair. "No! Don't ever touch me there again!"

She rolled them over, taking dominance. She thrust him inside her. 

"I want you one place and one place only. Do you understand?"

He couldn't speak. He was overcome by pleasure and pain all at the same time. She lowered over him over and over again. She rocked like crazy, demanding release. They both came, screaming. 

When they were through, Buffy turned away, her back facing him. He reached out to wrap an arm around her, but she swatted it away. 

"Buffy?"

She didn't answer. 

"You have to stop this!" he commanded. "If you don't want all of me please stop. I wish I could push you away myself, but I can't find the will." He snorted. "I love you. You know that. And I could never deny you. But, Buffy . . ."

She remained silent. 

Giving up, Spike rolled over, going to sleep. 

Sunlight streamed through the window. Spike winced. It took him a while for him to be able to open his eyes. Memories of last night flooded through his brain. His eyes fell on the unoccupied pillow beside him. He sighed. 

This was the end. He couldn't allow this to continue. 

Spike reached for his discarded black jeans. He reached into the pocket, drawing out a small piece of paper. He grabbed the phone, dialing the numbers it had written on it. 

"'Ello, is this Mandy?"

___________________________________________

You probably hate me all about now. Yes, this is one of my darker fics. I usually am more of a fluffy person, but I wanted to try a season 6 story that stayed true with the Buffy of that time. And don't worry, I am a Spuffy shipper to the bone. I would never end a story without some tenderness. 


	11. Seeking Help

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Eleven- Seeking Help

It felt weird for Buffy to be back amongst the Sunnydale dorm rooms. It was only a year ago that she had actually lived in one. Instead, it felt like an eternity ago. She wasn't that unsure Freshman straight out of college anymore. She had been through a lot. She was old. Not physically, but mentally. 

She took a hand and rapped on the door before her. There wasn't an immediate response. Thoughts that the owner must not be home washed over her. She needed this person to be there. 

The door opened. Tara stood there wearing a skirt and peasant top. She smiled when she saw Buffy. 

"Buffy. I wasn't expecting you," she greeted. 

"I'm sorry I didn't call," Buffy apologized. 

"No, no, that's all right. Come in." Tara held the door open for the slayer. 

They went over to the bed and sat down.

"It is nice to see you," Tara told her. 

"Yeah. Dawn misses you. We both wish you'd come by more often."

"M-Maybe we should get together and do something."

"That'd be great."

There was a span of silence. Buffy reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She gave it to Tara.

"Do you think you could do this spell? I mean, it isn't dangerous is it?"

Tara looked over the spell. When she was done, her eyes shifted to Buffy with surprise. 

"This is a time travel incantation," Tara stated in amazement. 

Buffy proceeded to tell her about Alexis. She filled her in about why she was there and how she knew them all from the future. 

"I didn't know time travel was a real thing," the witch mutter, still in shock. 

"Neither did I," replied Buffy. "But Alexis knows things. Things she could only know if she knew us personally."

Tara glanced over the spell once more. "The spell sounds easy enough. I don't think anything bad can happen when performing it. But I've never done anything like this before. I can't guarantee it will work."

"You can try, though, right?"

"I can try. There is no harm in that."

"Thanks. And I'm sure Alexis is grateful too."

They sat there not know what to say for a moment. 

Buffy built up enough courage to go on. The spell wasn't the main reason she was there. Sure that was important, but it wasn't what was occupying Buffy's mind. 

"This isn't the only reason I came here," said Buffy. "I need to talk to you."

"What is it, Buffy? Has Willow . . .?"

"No," interrupted Buffy. "It isn't Will. She's been doing good with the cut-down on magic thing. You'd be proud of her. No, this is something else."

"Good. That's . . . good. So, what do you want to talk about then?"

This was where the hard part came in. How should Buffy start? 'Oh, I've been knocked up by Spike. What should I do?' That wouldn't work. 

"It's about . . . It's about Spike," Buffy managed to get out. 

Perplexity came over Tara. "Spike? Is he having problems with the humanity issue? I thought he was getting better about that."

The slayer shook her head. "No, not about that. It's about . . ." She swallowed. "About Spike and . . . me."

"You? I'm confused."

"He could hurt me, Tara. Before he became human."

Tara gasped. "His chip wasn't working!?"

"No, it still worked. It just didn't react to me. I want you to check out that spell that brought me back. I need to know if . . . I'd ask Willow, but . . ." Her voice wavered. 

Tara took a hand and placed it on Buffy's arm. "You think it's you?"

"I don't know. I feel different. There are things I've done . . . I think I came back wrong."

Firmly, Tara said, "No. That's n-not . . . No. You didn't."

"Can you please check anyways? Just to make sure?"

Tara saw the pleading in Buffy's expression. The woman was lost, begging for help. She nodded.

***********************

Buffy went through the whole day without throwing up. That is, until evening rolled around. She just never could keep supper down. 

She flushed the toilet, washed her face, and brushed her teeth. Afterward, she stared at herself in the mirror. She didn't recognize who she was anymore. Was she the person that dove off the tower to save the world out of love? Or was she the cold, unfeeling, creature that used men who cared about her? 

"How are you?"

Buffy turned around to see Alexis. She had forgotten that the girl was there. Willow and Dawn were out, and it had slipped her mind that someone else occupied the house. 

"I'm . . . still pregnant," Buffy answered, hollowly. 

Alexis leaned against the doorframe. "And you what, thought it would go away after a good night's rest? Like it was some kind of illness or something?" 

"It sure feels like an illness!" Buffy threw back.

"Morning sickness is only temporary."

"I went to the doctor today."

"Good. How'd that go?"

"It was bad. I hate doctors. And I have to go again next month," Buffy told her. 

Alexis chuckled. "I know. When you . . ." She stopped herself. 

"What?" Buffy asked. 

"N-Nothing. Nothing important. I just know. That you hate doctors."

Buffy frowned. 

"He told me I'm two months and a half along." She shut her eyes. "God. It must have happened the first time Spike and I . . ."

Buffy's eyes shot open. She studied Alexis. "That was when Spike became human."

Standing up straight, Alexis opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. 

"You are all knowledge girl. Why did Spike become human?" Buffy demanded. 

"I-I don't know," Alexis stammered. 

Buffy took a step forward. "You must know." She touched her stomach with both hands. "Does it have something to do with the baby?"

"I don't know!" insisted Alexis. 

The slayer grabbed her arm roughly. "Tell me! I need to know! Is this baby special? Did Spike change because of it?"

Alexis snatched her arm back. "I don't know!" she yelled. 

Buffy looked shaken. She stood there, breathing in deeply. 

"I don't know." This time the teen spoke gently. "You never figured it out."

"So Spike turned human for no reason?" Buffy questioned, doubtfully. 

"I . . . "

"And this baby isn't special? It just happened because I decided to fuck my brains out with my enemy?"

Tears stung Alexis's eyes. She looked away. "I don't know." Then she left. 

**********************

Alexis ran outside. She ended up in the backyard. She sat down on the grass and sobbed. 

She had been so close to spilling it all. She had wanted to tell Buffy the truth so bad. And afterwards, she wanted Buffy to hug her and be the Buffy she knew. This Buffy was someone she had never seen before. 

How could this Buffy treat her baby like a virus? Buffy's daughter was a miracle. It shouldn't be a mistake Buffy wanted to throw away. No, she knew Buffy loved her daughter. She knew it. She'd seen it years from now. 

Alexis told herself this as she cried. 

***********************

Alexis stepped into the Magic Box. It was busy which usually didn't happen unless there was a sale. 

She walked over to the register. Anya got done ringing up a customer. 

"Where is Spike?" Alexis asked. 

"Oh, I gave him the day off. He had a date or something. The day I really need him too. Look at all these people." Anya swept her arm around the store. "Isn't it fabulous!? I love the life of commerce."

"A-A date?" 

Anya nodded. "Yeah. Some Mandy. Mindy. Something like that."

Another customer came up to the counter. They put down a Tarot deck. 

"These tarot cards are selling like hot cakes. I'm so glad I ordered them," Anya said, beaming. 

Alexis turned. She headed out the door. She went over to the curb and sat down. 

What was wrong with this time? Giles had told her not to interrupt the order of things. Well, things didn't seem to be in any order at all. The way things were going, she didn't see how they could result in the future she belonged to.

____________________________________________

Aren't you just dying to know what the future is like? Oh, and there is a reason that Spike turned human. And yes, I will tell you. Later. 


	12. Seeking Comfort

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Twelve- Seeking Comfort

Buffy opened the door. She looked tired and worn out. 

"Buffy. Hi."

Tara stood before her. 

"Hey." Buffy let her friend in. "Everybody's gone. Just you and me."

The two women went into the living room. Buffy sat on the coffee table, facing Tara, who was on the couch. 

"I checked everything. There's . . . There's nothing wrong with you."

"There has to be," Buffy insisted. 

"Well, I said that there was nothing wrong with you, but ... you are different. Shifting you out of ... f-from where you were ... funneling your essence back into your body ... it altered you on a basic molecular level. Probably just enough to confuse the sensors or whatever in Spike's chip. But it's all just surface-y physical stuff. It wouldn't have any more effect than ... a bad sunburn."

Buffy was quiet for a moment, contemplating this. 

"I'm not wrong?" Buffy finally asked. 

"No. You're the same Buffy. Just with a cellular tan," Tara explained. 

"If that's true. . . Then why?" 

Tara leaned forward. Her face was kind and understanding. 

"Why what, Buffy?"

The slayer shook her head. "You overlooked something. Will you check again?" 

Worried, Tara said, "I promise you, Buffy. There is nothing wrong with you."

"There has to be! This just can't be me, it isn't me." Tears swam in Buffy's eyes. "Why do I feel like this? How could I do those things with Spike?"

Tara gaped. "What things?"

The slayer lifted her head. Her gaze met Tara's and then shifted away again. 

A frown marred Tara's features. "Oh," she said as she began to understand. 

"He's everything I hate," Buffy choked out. "He's a murderous, unclean thing."

Tara took Buffy's hands in hers. "Buffy?" Buffy reluctantly looked at her. "Spike isn't a vampire anymore."

The tears in Buffy's eyes flowed more freely. Her shoulder shook. 

"Buffy, have you comprehended this? Deep down?"

"I-I went t-to him even after . . ." Choked up by sobs, Buffy could hardly get her words out. "I treated him like a monster."

"But you won't again," Tara assured her. She stroked her hands. "It's all right. Everything's all right now."

Sliding off the table, Buffy fell to her knees on the floor. She put her head in Tara's lap. Tara seemed uncertain at first, but then stroked her friend's hair. 

Muffled, Buffy said, "Nothing's all right. I don't think anything will be all right again."

"You made a mistake, Buffy. You can learn from it. Not do it again," Tara told her. 

"Things still won't be all right. The damage is done." Buffy raised her head. "I'll still be pregnant."

Tara's eyes enlarged. "Buffy!?"

"Don't tell anyone. Please," Buffy begged. 

Recovering, Tara responded. "I won't."

"The way they would look at me . . . I just couldn't . . ."

"I won't tell anyone. I wouldn't do that. But you are going to have to tell them eventually. Have you told Spike?"

Buffy shook her head. 

"Do you love him?"

Startled, Buffy backed away slightly. 

"It's okay if you do. He's human now. And even before he's done some good."

"I-can't," Buffy choked. 

Buffy had another crying attack. "Can you tell me now that I'm not wrong? How can you? This morning I contemplated destroying my baby! I thought about abortion, Tara!"

Tara fought crying herself. 

"I don't know who I am anymore," Buffy confessed. "I never would have thought that before Glory. I never would have let this happen in the first place."

The slayer reached out and hugged Tara. "I don't know who I am anymore."

************************

Mindy (not Mandy) smiled at Spike. "I had a good time."

"Yeah. The movie was fun," he told her. 

They stood outside her house. 

"Well . . ." 

"I better get going." He began to turn away. 

She grabbed him, bringing him toward her again. She smashed her lips down on his, kissing him with passion. She plunged her tongue into his mouth with fury. 

When they separated, Spike was stunned. 

"Call me, okay," Mindy said. She grinned, heading inside. 

**************************

There were four rings before her call was answered. Across the ocean, a voice said, "Hello?"

"Giles?" 

"Buffy? So good to hear from you. How are things?"

Buffy twirled the phone cord with her finger. "They've been better."

"What is it? Is there something you have to face?"

"Y-yes. There is a big bad after me. But that isn't why I called."

"What is troubling you, Buffy? Is there something I can do?"

"Yes. Come back to Sunnydale."

There was a sigh. "Buffy . . .?"

"No, Giles . . . I need you."

"What is going on?" 

"I . . . I just need you. I can't tell you over the phone." 

"Is it really that dire?"

She stifled a sob. "Yes, Giles, it really is."

"Very well then. I'll be on the next plane out."

"Th-Thank you, Giles."

____________________________________________

I'm changing the category to angst. I think it is more appropriate. I haven't even started any action yet. 

What do you guys think? 


	13. Confessions

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Thirteen- Confessions

The house was entirely silent. Dawn was at school. Willow was at college. Alexis was somewhere . . . other than there. Buffy was alone. It seemed like she was that way a lot lately. But then again, on second thought, she wasn't really by herself ever anymore. 

Sitting on the couch, Buffy let her hand roam to her middle. It was amazing when you actually comprehended it all. There was something inside her. Something alive and growing. So small that it wasn't noticeable yet. But it was there all the same. The notion was petrifying and wondrous all at the same time. 

She suddenly felt as if a veil of sunlight had materialized from the shadows. It bathed her in warmth, melting away some of the coldness. A few tears of relief streamed down her face. And she understood something for the first time. She loved this baby. No matter how it came to be. She loved it despite who its father was. She must not be completely consumed by death if she could still love. 

The doorbell rang, making her jump. She got up and went to answer it. She opened the door, peering out. It took a moment for her to process the sight in front of her. When she did, she wrapped her arms around the older man. 

Giles hugged the girl back. "Buffy," he murmured. After a long embrace, she let him inside.

They settled on the sofa. There was a silence. Finally, Buffy said," I missed you."

A smile came to his lips. "And I have you. Leaving was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

Buffy's gaze fell to the floor. "I hope you don't think my calling you back is weak of me," she whispered.

He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Not at all. Whatever it is, it must be important."

Buffy turned her head to face him. Her face showed great pain. "You're going to be so disappointed in me. I really let you down."

"Buffy, what's happened here?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "Willow's been abusing her magic. She almost let Amy take her to an evil warlock. Spike's human. A girl named Alexis has come from the future. She informed me that some demon from her time period is after me. And . . . I've been sleeping with Spike." 

The slayer looked away, embarrassed. She heard something she never would have anticipated. Giles was laughing. She slowly looked back over. He was covering his mouth, trying to stop. 

"Terribly sorry," he apologized. His laughter didn't cease, however. 

Buffy stared at him. Her eyes began to sting. She fought to quell the need to break down. She couldn't understand why her ex-watcher was acting this way. Didn't he care?

Seeing Buffy's distress, Giles instantly stopped his outburst. Shame came over his expression. "Things must be difficult for you. I'm sorry I laughed. It's just your speech sounded so unreal."

"I really screwed up," she whispered.

"Sleeping with Spike is a mistake. But you are an adult and are entitled to make some. I can't pass judgment. And he's human you say?," he commented.

"I'm pregnant," she managed to get out. She couldn't meet his eyes.

Of all the things Giles had been prepared for this was not it. Shock hit him with great intensity. He swallowed, wondering what to do. He had never been in a situation like this. He saw a young woman needing someone to take care of her. That should be the father's job. Where the hell was he?

"B-By Spike? Where is he?" Giles demanded. 

Shimmering green eyes met his. "I haven't told him yet," she confessed. "Tara is the only one besides you to know."

His gaze was severe. "How could you be so irresponsible!?"

Buffy wished he'd go back to the laughing. That was better than this.

"There are means of protection," Giles said. 

"I know. But he was a vampire, Giles. He changed while we . . . we were . . ." 

Giles reached for his glasses. He removed them to begin his ritual of cleaning. He wiped the lenses on his shirt.

"This is a rather peculiar situation," he said, while replacing his eyewear. "I'm afraid they didn't cover this in watcher training. Pregnancy in slayers is quite a rare occurrence."

"But it has happened before?" Buffy questioned. 

"Y-yes, I believe so. I'll have to check my journals."

"Could you research Spike's humanity as well?"

"Of course. It happened while you were . . .?" He let out a cough, not being able to continue.

"Yes. Alexis, the time travel visitor, told me that his change had nothing to do with my pregnancy. But I think she might be lying."

Giles nodded. "If there is anything to find, I will," he assured her. 

Buffy reached out and hugged him. "Thank-you." She sniffled. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Her sergeant father held her back. "Oh, Buffy. I never should have left you."

She continued to cry, savoring the contact. Maybe things wouldn't be all right, but maybe they could be better. 

**************************

"Mmmm," Mindy moaned, while kissing Spike. 

Spike could barely take it. Mindy had her tongue shoved down his throat, almost choking him. 

He felt hands lift up his shirt. Sharp nails scraped his stomach. He shoved them away, stepping back. 

"Mindy," Spike said, "I can't."

"Why? Is there something wrong with me?" his date inquired, worriedly. 

"No. I just . . . I love someone else. I thought I was ready to move on, but I'm not." He sighed. "I'm sorry."

She nodded. "So am I," she told him. 

So, that was the end of Mindy and Spike. Not that there really had been a Mindy and Spike to begin with. 

Spike walked home, lost in his thoughts. This human thing sucked. You couldn't just exist. No, you had choices to make. And each one had a consequence. It was a gamble rather it turned out good or bad. 

He came home to find his door ajar. Alarm came over him. He had left his apartment locked. Thinking it must be a burglar (even though he couldn't understand why someone would want to steal from his meager possessions), he prepared himself to fight. As he had told Buffy before, he may not have the strength, but he certainly still had skill.

Spike burst inside, scanning the place. His eyes fell on Buffy. She was on the couch, as if it was perfectly normal for her to be there.

"What are you doing here? Did you kick my door in again!?" he shouted. 

She stood up, crossing her arms. "Where the hell have you been?"

"None of your bloody business, slayer. Now, how'd you get in?"

"I-I kicked the door in. Sorry, but I really needed to get in. Now, tell me, where have you been? I've been waiting for almost two hours."

"I had a date," he threw out. Satisfaction filled him from the words. 

"A date? With who?"

"Mindy. We went out for dinner. You know, that new Italian place?" 

Buffy plopped back down on the couch. "Mindy, huh? Well, you can't see her anymore."

Anger spread over him. How dare she tell him what to do! 

"And why the hell not!?" Spike demanded. 

"Because I'm pregnant!" she yelled back. 

_________________________________________________

I'm evil. Yep, I'm leaving off there.


	14. Impact

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Fourteen- Impact

Spike froze, her words not registering in his head. "Repeat that, I don't think I got it."

"I'm pregnant," Buffy repeated. Thinking he needed a little push, she added, "By you."

"Th-That's not possible," he stammered. 

"Oh, it is. Those swimmers are . . . well, they're swimming," she assured him. 

Realization sunk in. His blue eyes widened. Not being able to stand any longer, he collapsed on the other side of the couch. 

It couldn't be. He wasn't able to . . . The full impact of being human hit him like a bomb. His sudden change wasn't just lack of freedom and obligations. He had a working body now, complete with functioning organs. 'All' organs. The implication of this hadn't entered his brain when they had coupled. He imagined it hadn't for Buffy either. 

"When?" Spike got out. 

"When what?" Buffy asked. "When did I find out? A couple days ago. When did we do this? A little over two months ago."

"That was when . . ."

"That's right. The abandoned building. When you became all humanized." 

They sat in silence, both unable to speak. Their thoughts swam, too much for them to sort out. It was Buffy who composed herself first.

"I've thought about this and I've come to a decision," the slayer informed. 

He shifted his gaze to land on hers. His expression was scared, uncertain as to what she would say. 

She went on, unaware of his fears. "I'm willing to let you into my life. I've been without a father and I know how awful it is. I don't want our daughter to go through that."

"D-Daughter?" Spike choked. 

Buffy almost smiled, but not quite. "Yeah. Alexis told me that we are gonna have a little girl."

Spike fought to control himself. His eyes wanted to spill tears of gratitude. 

"So, I want you around." Buffy took a deep breath. "But I can't guarantee that things will ever change between us. I can't tell you that I'll ever love you. You understand that, right?" 

Nodding, his heart squeezed. He had accepted this, but to hear her say it out loud was agonizing. To have her permission to take part in her life was more than he ever hoped for, though. 

Buffy got to her feet. "Feel free to come by anytime. You're welcome." She headed to the door, but abruptly turned back. "Don't tell anyone! They're my friends and I'll break the news."'

Spike didn't reply. He watched as she left, leaving him in conflict whether he wanted to smile like an idiot or cry like a heartbroken fool. 

************************

Buffy entered the magic shop. Anya was at the counter, setting a pricing gun. A box of merchandize was beside her. She let out a frustrated sound. 

"Uh, something wrong?" Buffy questioned. 

Anya looked up, startled. "Oh, Buffy, you're here."

It wasn't like Anya not to notice someone entering the store. She was usually alert, awaiting her next customer. 

"They sent me the wrong number of candle holders!" the ex-demon complained. "I wanted seven and they sent me only five."

Buffy shrugged. "That's the way it goes in the world of retail. Mistakes happen."

The other woman put down the pricing gun. She turned her attention to Buffy. "Mistakes don't always happen just in retail." 

The intense look Anya was giving Buffy made her want to shiver. It was as if she knew what mistake Buffy had made. But she couldn't. There was no way. 

Buffy cleared her throat. "Uh, Anya, have you seen Giles? Is he around?" 

Anya's eerie stare turned into Anya's normal lively smile. "Oh yeah, Giles is back! Good thing too. I needed help lifting this heavy box. I would have asked Spike, but he had to have more time off frolicking with that new girlfriend of his."

The term girlfriend filled Buffy with anger. It shouldn't. Just because they were having a baby together didn't mean he couldn't have a real relationship with someone else. Still, for some reason she felt she couldn't allow it. Maybe it was selfish, but she didn't want their daughter growing up knowing her daddy was with another woman. 

"Anya, Giles. Where is he?" 

"Oh, right. He's in the back. He took a few books with him, saying he didn't want to scare customers away with demonic research. I don't see why, he was never worried about that before."

Buffy went into the training room. She found her ex-watcher on the sofa in the corner. A stack of books was near him on the floor. He didn't lift his head as she came in, involved in the text he was reading. 

She stepped in front of him. "What did you find?"

He jumped. "Oh, Buffy, hello." He reached over and grabbed a notebook. "I managed to find a few references of pregnant slayers."

"All right. Give me what you got," Buffy said. 

"Well, there were three. Two were able to make it through childbirth."

"What happened to the third?" She had to know. 

Giles shook his head. "Are you certain you want to know?"

"Yes," she told him, firmly. 

"She had a miscarriage, Buffy. She was out fighting and a vampire kicked her in the stomach. Her watcher documented it as a mixture of great loss and relief." 

The horrifying image that played in Buffy mind made her want to vomit. Her hand cupped her stomach protectively. 

"The others?" Buffy asked. 

Giles scanned his notes. "Their pregnancies were normal. There was nothing mystical or unnatural about them. The girls made it to term and had completely healthy children."

Buffy sat down beside her mentor. Her hand remained on her stomach, green eyes misting. 

"She's going to be okay?" the slayer whispered. 

Giles smiled. "Your baby's going to be fine as long as you let us patrol for you."

Six and a half months without fighting. She didn't know if she could do it. Patrolling was how she let off steam. 

A groan escaped Buffy. "This isn't going to be easy."

Giles' smile widened. "You'll make it through, I assure you."

"I told him today."

"Spike? How did that go?"

"I'm not sure," Buffy confessed. "He was in shock."

"A natural response for anyone. Especially an ex-vampire."

"Speaking of ex-vampires, did you come across anything about his change?" Buffy inquired. 

"Sorry, no. I found a few spells on bringing back the dead, but nothing about returning the undead to life. I will keep looking."

"Thank you." 

Giles reached out and squeezed her hand. "I want you to know that I'm always here for you. And your child."

Her lip quivered. 

"I want to help you in any way I can."

She threw herself at him, embracing him in a hard hug. "I love you, Giles. You know that, right?"

"Y-Yes, Buffy. I love you too. But if you could release me just a tad . . ." he choked, hardly able to breath. 

She loosened her hold. "Oh, sorry, Giles."

"No, quite all right."

"You're going to be the best grandpa ever," Buffy declared. 

"Gr. . . Did you say grandpa?"

Buffy simply grinned. 

______________________________________________________

Sorry it took me so long to get this out. I got a job and it takes up so much of my time. The only day I get off is Sunday. Hopefully I can still squeeze in some writing time. 


	15. Truths

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Fifteen- Truths

The slayer was impossible to find. She hadn't been out patrolling in a long time, and no one knew where she lived. Judas was at a loss. He had to find the bitch. It had become an obsession. Every waking hour was focused on killing the slayer. He had imagined thousands of glorifying ways to do her in. He even had a fantasy where Ges ate her up, except for the head, which he mounted on the wall. 

After a few weeks of turning up nothing, he made his decision. He needed help. Someone who could find the whereabouts of Buffy Summers. 

He asked around at Willie's Bar, the supreme place to gather information. That was how he heard of the witch Celeste. She was known for her black magic, the darkest there was. Rumor had it she had died and gone to hell once. The devil allowed her to return with the gift of powers, granted she used the arts to spread havoc on earth. 

She would aid him in discovering where the slayer was. And then he could hack her up into little pieces. Or throw her in a pit of fire. Or stab her a hundred times. Or . . . There were just so many ways. 

*************************

Willow stepped into the kitchen. The aroma of something baking filled her nostrils. "Mmmm, I smell yummy goodness," she commented. 

"Cheese lasagna. With garlic bread," Buffy informed, opening the oven to check on the food. "Few more minutes."

A smile formed on the red-head's mouth. "I think you're getting a grip on the cooking deal."

"Well, it's frozen. I just stick it in the oven."

"True," Willow agreed. "But, you got the timing deal down. No more burnt-ness."

The slayer went over to the cupboard and got down some plates. 

"I can set the table," Willow offered. 

"Thanks, Will."

Buffy handed over the stack of china. Willow eyed the plates with a frown. She counted five. 

"Buffy, why are there five plates? There are only four people in the house." Then a thought struck her. "Is Tara coming for dinner?" 

Hating to disappoint her, Buffy didn't want to tell her the truth. Tara still wasn't comfortable around Willow. She did ask about her, though. That was good. It meant she still cared. 

"Sorry, no. Spike's coming," Buffy said. 

"Spike?" Willow asked in surprise.

"Yeah."

Willow furrowed her brow. "Not that I'm opposed to seeing him, but can I ask why? You never seemed too hospitable toward him before."

"I know," Buffy confessed. "But he's human now. I feel like I should be nice to him. I mean, he has a soul now."

The witch nodded. "He does. I think Spike could use a little friendship because of it. I sense sadness coming off him, even if he hides it well. He's getting better, though. He isn't all 'Woe is me, please change me back' anymore."

"It's weird," stated Buffy. "Hearing Spike and friendship in the same sentence."

"Definitely," replied Willow. 

"Is the world gonna end now?"

"Naw, not till Xander uses the 'f' word in regards to Spike."

"We're probably safe. Besides, if this is a sign of an apocalypse, I'll just stop it. That's what we slayers do."

*************************

Spike stood outside the Summers' house. He glanced down at his clothes and frowned. Why the hell did he decide to wear this again? He had on a blue shirt and jeans. He fidgeted, longing for his usual duster and black ensemble. Sod the 'boy next door' routine. He was early, he could always run back to the apartment and change.

Just then the door swung open. Buffy stood there. She looked him up-and-down, studying him. She smiled. "Did Rainbow Bright visit you?"

"What are you goin on about?"

Laughing she said, "Never mind. I like it. Matches your eyes."

Shocked, Spike stared at her. Maybe wearing something different was a good idea after all. 

She cracked the door wider, allowing him passage. 

"So, slayer, how'd ya know I was here? I didn't get a chance to knock. Were you watchin for me?"

She replied quickly," What? No! I-I just went by the window and noticed you were on the porch."

A smirk came to his lips. "Right, luv."

It wasn't long before the food was done. Buffy took it out of the oven and dished it out on their plates. They gathered in the dining room to eat. Spike sat beside Alexis, and Buffy sat beside her sister. Willow ended up on the end of the table. 

"This is good, Buffy," Willow stated after taking a bite. 

"Thanks," Buffy responded. 

The only male in the room eyed Buffy's plate in dismay. She had the smallest pieces of lasagna and garlic bread. She really should eat more, he thought. Especially if she is eating for two now. 

"It's good to see you, Spike," Dawn said with a happy grin. 

"You too, Lil' Bit."

Their small talk continued. Alexis remained generally quiet, seemingly lost in her own contemplations.

Suddenly Buffy stood up. 

"Buffy, is something wrong?" Willow asked, concerned. 

Without saying a word, Buffy put her hand over her mouth, fleeing the room. She ran up the stairs and into the bathroom. Spike stood up, knowing exactly what was going on. He went after his slayer.

He found her bent over the toilet, retching up all that she had consumed. He realized then that this must be why she had so little on her plate. 

A moan escaped Buffy. Spike moved, pulling her hair out of the way. 

"You all right, pet?"

"Do I look all right!?" she inquired, testily.

Spike heard Willow and Dawn come up the stairs. The two made it into the bathroom, taking in the scene. 

"Buffy!" Dawn gasped. "Are you okay?"

Buffy flushed the toilet. She went over to wash her face. "Fine. I'm fine," she assured. 

"No you're not!" Dawn exclaimed. "I've heard you throw up a lot lately."

Buffy looked over, her eyes wide in panic. 

"You thought I didn't know? Well, I do."

"How long have you been sick?" Willow asked. 

The slayer didn't answer. 

"You need to go to the doctor," Willow continued. 

"Willow's right," Dawn said. "There could be something really wrong. I don't want to lose you. Not-Not like Mom."

Softly, Buffy said, "You aren't going to lose me. I'm not dying."

"How do you know that?" Dawn questioned. "Please, go to the doctor."

"I've gone," confessed Buffy.

"What did he say? What is wrong?"

The slayer shared a look with Spike. "I'm pregnant."

**************************

Alexis stood at the bottom of the stairs. She listened to the conversation going on upstairs, intently. 

"You're pregnant? As in having a baby?" Willow asked in disbelief. 

"Look the term up in the dictionary. I'm sure you'll find the definition to mean that, yes," Buffy said. 

"How?"

"Will, I'm pretty sure you went through sex education."

"I mean . . . Buffy, who have you been with?"

Alexis held her breath. This was the turning point. 

"Spike."

"Spike?"

"Did you hit your head today, Will? Cuz your brain and hearing isn't quite so good."

"I'm trying to grasp this and it's hard. I don't understand how this could happen. Are you and Spike together? As in all couply?"

"No." It was Spike who spoke. He had basically been quiet until then. "We aren't together in that way." His voice was toneless.

"It was a mistake," Buffy told her friend. "I never meant for this to happen. I'm not ready to be a mother. I don't even know if I'll ever be ready."

Alexis had heard enough. She rushed to the door and ran out. On her way, she bumped into someone. When she looked up, she came face-to-face with Giles. 

Giles stared at her long and hard. She gulped. 

"I know who you are," Giles stated. 

__________________________________________________

End of chapter 15. Till next time. 


	16. Secrets Out

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Sixteen- Secrets Out

Alexis opened her mouth, unable to speak. Her expression was full of alarm. 

"Buffy and Spike don't know, I take it?" Giles said. 

The girl shook her head. "No, nobody was supposed to. Not even you. You were the one that went on about the danger of it all too. How ironic, huh?"

"Yes, quite. I do believe I was right. Knowing who you are could drastically change history. The bit of information would make Buffy and Spike do things differently."

"How'd you find out?" Alexis questioned. 

He adjusted his glasses. "I was researching the cause of Spike's transformation. I came across a very interesting prophecy."

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that."

"It's not as spectacular as it sounds."

"Oh, really? Cleansing the world of vampires and demons isn't as important as it sounds? Sorry if I don't accept that."

"I don't do much. I just stand around and look pretty while power streams out of me. Kinda like the key. But I don't have to bleed. Which is good. The Glory story always gave me the wiggins."

The ex-watcher couldn't help but smile. He could see the same spirit Buffy possessed inside her. 

"We have to keep this a secret," Alexis informed. 

"I agree . . . Alexis Summers."

"Alexis Anne Shayne," she corrected. 

"Dear lord, that is Spike's last name?"

"Yep."

"And Buffy marries him?" 

He couldn't hold back any longer, and reached for his glasses to clean. 

Serious, Alexis nodded. "Somehow, although, I'm not seeing any sparks just yet."

***************************

Upstairs, Willow, Dawn, Buffy, and Spike, were still in the bathroom. They had fallen silent, not sure what to say. It was Dawn who decided to act. She stepped up to her sister and gave her a hug. 

"It will be okay," assured Dawn. "You're going to be a good mother. I know it. And you won't have to deal alone. I fully take on the responsibility of aunt-ness." 

The slayer held Dawn back hard. "I'm scared," she whispered. 

The roles seemed to be reversed then. Dawn had taken over being the older sibling. She reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind Buffy's ear. 

"Don't not want this baby. Please, Buffy. This should be the most amazing, exciting thing that ever happened to you. Come on, Buffy, it's a baby," Dawn told her.

Buffy jerked away. "I do want this baby. That's the hard part. I want it so bad. But I am so afraid I'll screw up. How can I not?" Her gaze landed on Spike for a few seconds before jolting away again. "I've already made so many mistakes concerning my own life. I don't want to make more for someone else's."

That made Willow come forward. "Did you hear Dawn say that you aren't alone? Well, she's right. We're here for you. The whole gang. You have a whole army ready to fight with you."

A small, wobbly, smile came to Buffy's lips. "Th-Thanks. But I doubt Xander is going to rush at signing up for the cavalry."

"Not right away," agreed Willow. "But he's your friend. He'll come around. And the sooner you tell him, the sooner he will."

The three girls pulled in for a group hug. 

***************************

Spike watched the girls hug. He had been there through the entire discussion and they hardly noticed he was there. He was an outsider and that would never change. No matter how much he changed himself. 

"I'll go see how Xander's doing. If he's in a good mood I'll give you a call," he heard Willow say. 

The bleached-blonde slipped past them, exiting the bathroom. He began his descent down the stairs. 

"Spike!?"

He turned around to see Buffy. She stood at the top of the stairs, giving him a questioning look. 

"Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna push off. Don't rightly think I should be around when you break the news to the whelp," he replied. 

Her green eyes enlarged. "You're leaving? This concerns you. You helped make this mess. I think you should be around to help clean it up."

The words stung. He hated the way she referred to their creation as a mistake. How could she say she wanted it, but yet act like it was an abomination? 

"Sticking around is only going to make it worse, Buffy," he explained. "Harris hates me enough as it is."

A sigh escaped Buffy. She nodded. "You're right. All right, go."

"I'll be back. I'm not abandoning you."

She gave him a long, intense stare. "I know."

*************************

Buffy sat down on the couch. She felt as if a giant weight had lifted off her shoulders. Four down, one to go. 

"Buffy?"

She looked up to see Dawn standing a few feet away. 

"Yeah, Dawnie?"

"Why did you sleep with Spike?" Dawn asked. 

A very good question. Buffy would love to know the answer to that one herself. 

"I-I dunno," Buffy confessed. "It's been so hard since I've been back. I . . ."

It seemed like an excuse. There had to be a better reason than that.

"Do you love him?"

Buffy's eyes widened. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Just . . . I wanted you to know that it is all right if you do. And if not, okay. But if you do later, that's all right too."

Buffy didn't answer. Having said what she had wanted, Dawn left the room. 

*************************

Willow called Buffy about twenty minutes later. 

"Come on over to the Magic Box. I know it's Sunday, but Anya wants to get some work done when there aren't any customers. Xander's here and in a good mood. I think Anya and he had some fun in the cellar before I came over."

"Willow! Too much info!" Buffy exclaimed. 

"Sorry," her friend apologized.

It wasn't long before Buffy and Dawn made it to the store. Buffy took a moment to brace herself before going to the door. It was locked, but Willow let her inside. The witch went back to the table afterward, typing away on her laptop. Xander was leaning on the counter, while Anya stood next to him. She was taking things out of a box.

At the sight of Buffy and Dawn, Xander straightened. "Hey, glad you could join the party."

Buffy forced a smile. 

Anya held up a CD. "Look, the shipment of music came in."

"Huh? I thought this was a magic shop, not Sam Goody," remarked Buffy. 

"It's New Age," the ex-demon said as if it explained it all. "I heard this will bring me lots of money."

Willow glanced over. "You know, that is a misconception."

"It won't bring me money?" 

"Not that. About New Age music. Real witches don't necessarily listen to that. Although, Enya's not too bad."

"I have Enya!" Anya dug in the box. She brought out the CD in triumph. "I also have Yanni, Tangerine Dream, and Enigma."

Buffy fidgeted. She wanted the prattle to continue so she didn't have to actually do what she came there to do, but she also wanted to get it over with. 

"Guys!" Dawn got everybody's attention. 

"What, Dawn-miester?" Xander asked. 

"Uh . . ."

Gathering her slayer strength, Buffy announced, "I have something important to say."

All attention fell on her. For some odd reason she wished Spike was there. She didn't know why. It's not like his presence would have helped any. He had been right. Him being there just would have complicated things even more. 

Well, why bother building things up? Better to just get to the point. 

"I'm pregnant."

Anya dropped the CD she was holding. It fell to the floor with a thump. She didn't even bother to acknowledge that her fingers no longer clutched the item. All the life seemed to have left her. The others saw Anya's reaction, but were more concerned about Buffy's confession. 

"Is this a joke?" Xander choked out. 

"No, Xander, it's not," Buffy answered. 

Stunned, Xander blinked. "How could you let this happen?"

She looked away. 

"With who? Last time I checked you were single."

"I am."

"What? So what is this? Artificial insemination?"

Buffy shook her head. 

"Well, doubt you're the next Virgin Mary. So tell me, Buff, what happened?" Xander spat. 

"Sp-Spike," she got out. 

"Excuse me?"

"Spike. It was Spike."

All of a sudden Xander burst out laughing. He pointed a finger. "Good one, guys. You had me going there for a sec."

Dawn took a step forward. "This isn't a joke, Xand. Buffy's going to have a baby and Spike's the father."

He surveyed the others, realizing by their faces that it wasn't a joke. His laughter faded to be replaced with anger. 

"It's true then? And you all knew?"

Willow got to her feet. "I just found out today. I . . ."

"You knew when you came in here all smiles and laughs," he said to Willow accusingly. His gaze traveled to Buffy. "And you didn't want to tell me. I was the last one to find out."

The words were rich with venom. She shivered from the malice they held. She raised her head to see the coldness in his brown eyes that were usually soft and caring. 

"You don't love him, do you?" 

"No," Buffy answered. 

"I don't understand. Why did you do it?" Worry crept into his expression. "Did he force you?"

She was quick to reply. "No! God, no!"

"Then why? All those times I told Spike to get lost. That he never had a chance with a girl like you."

"You don't know how hard it's been just being here. After I was brought back . . . It's been so hard. I needed something. I . . . I made a mistake thinking Spike could give it to me."

Xander laughed. It was different than before. This time it was bitter. 

"You thought Spike would give you something? Well he certainly did, didn't he!? It wasn't what you were looking for, though, was it?"

"It just happened, okay."

"Oh, like, 'Say, you're evil, get on me'?"

Her green eyes flashed with warning. "He's human now, Xander."

"That doesn't change who he is. He's still Spike," Xander threw back. 

"Even without a soul and beating heart he wasn't what you are condemning him of. He fought by your side all summer. He looked after Dawn."

"But I never forgot what he really was. And I don't see him out donating to charity now. He seems like the same evil bleached wonder to me."

Buffy clenched her hands. She fought the urge to deck one of her best friends in the jaw. 

"Let's stop. All I wanted was to tell you. You can feel anyway you want about it, but I have the right to do what I choose. My personal life isn't any of your business," she told him. 

"It used to be."

No one spoke for a moment. 

"This is finished," Buffy announced. 

"Yeah, it is," Xander agreed. He turned around. "Let's go, Any. . ."

Anya was gone. The wrapped CD she had dropped still lay on the floor.

"She left," Willow informed. "She seemed pretty upset about something."

Xander nodded. "I know you don't believe it, but Anya really is smart. I think I'll follow her lead."

With that, Xander stormed out of the store.

______________________________________________________

What has Anya so upset? Hmm . . . And will Xander and Buffy ever make up? What about Spike? Will Buffy ever love him? 

What do you think? 


	17. Decisions

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Seventeen- Decisions

Xander walked into his apartment to find it dark. This was unusual. Anya was known to wait up for him before going to bed. He groped his way through the place, heading into the bedroom. The window let in a subtle amount of moonlight, just enough for him to make out his fiancé's form curled up under the covers. 

"Ahn?" 

He sat down on the mattress beside her. He took a gentle hand and touched her back. 

Turning over, Anya faced him. He couldn't see her expression in the shadows. 

"Are you all right?" he asked. 

"Tired," she murmured. 

Letting out a sigh of relief, he said, "So, you're not mad then."

"Not at you." She rose up to a sitting position. "How dare Buffy announce that she is having a baby."

"I take it you aren't on the 'I love Spike bandwagon' either?"

"That's not it. Spike is a very good asset to my business. This wasn't supposed to happen. Buffy can't have a little person now," Anya complained. 

Confusion spread over Xander. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Not sure I'm following you, Ahn. Why are you upset with Buffy if it isn't about her boyfriend?"

All of a sudden Anya turned on the lamp. Xander blinked, his eyes adjusting to it. 

The blonde woman grabbed his arm. "Let's get married soon. Not a couple months from now. Like, in a couple weeks." Her voice was pleading. 

"Why the change in topic? I thought we were talking about Buffy here," Xander stated. 

She let go of his arm. "I don't care about Buffy. I want to talk about us and our ceremony of eternal love."

This wasn't how Xander wanted to discuss their wedding. He had been meaning to bring up the subject, but not when she was in a state of distress. 

Xander got to his feet. "About that . . ." His gaze met hers. "Anya, I love you with all my heart. You know that, right?"

A bright smile came to her lips. "I love you too."

"But . . ." He took in a deep breath. "I think we should wait." There, he had said it. 

She gaped at him. 

"I'm not ready yet. I should have told you this sooner, but . . ."

Anya jumped out of bed. "Yes, you should have told me this sooner, Xander Harris!" In a frenzy, she began to take off her nightgown and put on regular clothes. 

"Anya, what are you doing?" he asked with concern. 

"First Buffy has to announce she's pregnant and now. . ." She looked over at him with pain in her eyes. "I can't believe you are breaking up with me!"

"Breaking up?" He shook his head. "I'm not breaking up with you."

"But you don't want to get married."

"I do. Just not right away."

She buttoned her jeans, now fully dressed. Then she walked briskly out of the room. Xander followed. He snatched her arm. 

"Where are you going?" he demanded. 

"I don't know!" she threw back. 

Anya thrust her arm back. She reached for the doorknob. 

"Please don't go, Ahn. I love you," he begged. 

She hesitated.

"I'd rather marry you this second than have you walk out of my life forever," Xander declared. 

Anya spun around. Her eyes glimmered with wetness. "Really?"

"If that is what it takes."

She stepped up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his shoulder, soaking his gray shirt with salty tears. He stroked her hair with tenderness. 

"I never want to be without you," Xander said. "I'd be content if it was just the two of us forever."

Anya lifted her head. "What about three?"

"What?"

******************************

Giles had his watcher diary open, a black pen in his hand. 

"All right, so you are from fifteen years in the future?" he questioned. 

"Yes," Alexis answered. -

They were at the Magic Box. Anya hadn't come in that morning, which greatly worried him. She was always there an hour before opening. Luckily he had a key to the place. 

"And the Gestalt demon is also from your time?"

Again, she confirmed his question. He jotted the information down. 

"Buffy and I sent you here to prevent the demon from killing the Buffy here? Which, in result would cause yourself to perish and never be able to cleanse the future?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

He looked up. "Now, about Spike's condition. He . . ."

Just then the bell over the door tinkled. Giles slammed his diary closed. They shifted their attention to see who entered. Buffy came in. She was wearing black pants and a white v-neck top. Her hair was up in a cute twist. 

"Hey, guys," Buffy greeted. She glanced around. "Where's Anya?"

"She never showed up," Alexis announced. 

The slayer frowned. "I hope it doesn't have anything to do with last night. She seemed pretty upset."

"Really, about what?" Giles inquired. 

Buffy shrugged. "I'm not sure. My confession was what set her off."

Alexis squirmed in her seat. 

"Interesting," muttered Giles. 

"I just hope she's all right. Maybe we should call."

"A splendid idea, Buffy. I'll do just that." He got up to fetch the phone. 

"Wait, uh, Giles, about the research. Anything new?" 

"Sorry, no," he lied. "But I will keep looking."

He went over to the phone and grabbed it. He punched in the numbers to Xander and Anya's apartment. After several rings he hung up. 

Giles turned back. "I'm afraid no one is home."

*******************************

Buffy dug her hand into the bowl that teetered on her lap. She put the buttery popcorn into her mouth. She was rather enjoying herself. An old classic romance movie was on AMC. It was pretty good. And what was even better was that she was lacking the nausea that had accompanied the past month. 

The movie ended with the man and woman kissing after agreeing to get married. How sweet, she thought. 

There was a knock at the door. Buffy got up and went to answer it. As she swung open the door, she saw Spike standing on the other side. He gave her a smile. 

"Hullo, luv."

"Hi, Spike. Come in," she greeted. 

She went over and picked up the remote. She pressed the off button and the television went black. 

Buffy plopped back down on the couch. She munched on some more popcorn. 

"How was the conversation with Harris?" Spike asked. 

She frowned. "Not good, but I knew that it wouldn't be."

He nodded. 

Nervous, Spike took something out of his duster. "I uh. . . have something for you."

The slayer sat up straighter. "Ooo, prezzies," she squealed. "And it isn't even Christmas or my Birthday."

Her good mood caught him off guard. It wasn't often she treated him like someone she wanted around. 

Spike handed her something square. She took it, realizing that it was a book. Her excitement faded. She wasn't much for reading. Then she took in the cover. It had a mother holding a baby on the front. 

Spike combed a hand through his hair. He seemed embarrassed. "I thought it might help. It tells what to expect and all."

A genuine smile came to her face. "Thank-you, Spike. I hadn't even thought about getting a pregnancy book."

He pointed to the book. "That one pretty much has everything in it."

She lifted an eyebrow. "You read it?"

"Well, yeah."

She giggled. 

"Hey, I am literate, ya know. And I wanted to know what is going on with the itzy bitzy," he defended.

She quenched her laughter. "I'm not making fun of you. I think it's cute."

A smirk made it's way to his lips. "Cute, huh? You think I'm cute?"

"Hey!" she protested. "I said what you did was cute, not that you were cute."

"Same thing, pet. You are what you do."

"Whatever." 

Buffy stifled a yawn. This didn't go unnoticed by Spike. 

"Right then, I think I better go. Let me know what ya think of the book," Spike said. 

Buffy reached for his hand. "Wait!"

He turned back to face her. "What is it, slayer?"

There was a softness in her eyes that he had never seen in them before. 

"Will you stay with me?" she questioned. 

"I told you that I'd never deny you. If you really . . ."

She shook her head, interrupting him. "Not like that, Spike. Stay with me tonight. H-Hold me."

His eyes widened in surprise. 

A while later the two were lying comfortably in Buffy's bed. She was propped against Spike, his arm around her. She drifted off to sleep, feeling warm and content. 

***********************

Buffy awoke during the night to feel something rubbing against her belly. Her pajama shirt was lifted, and something was touching her on her bare skin. Her groggy mind came to awareness that it was a hand. Spike's hand to be exact. He was by the side of the bed, on his knees. 

"Hullo, itty bitty, it's daddy," he whispered tenderly. 

Buffy felt her heart swell. Oh God. He had been right. He was cute.

"Your mum says you're going to be a little girl. I can just imagine how beautiful you are going to be. You're going to look just like your mum, you are."

The way he was talking so sweetly. . . He really loves us, Buffy thought.

"I wish I could give you a right perfect family," Spike went on. "One where both parents loved each other. I don't think that'll ever happen, though. But that doesn't mean your mum and I don't love you. We're going to take good care of you. I'm never going to leave either of you. I'm not like that bloody poof or captain cardboard."

Buffy felt Spike press his lips to her stomach. "I love you," he muttered. 

He stood up. She kept her eyes shut, feigning slumber. He bent down and kissed her forehead as well. "And I love you."

A moment later, Spike got back in bed. She risked a glance over at him a short time later. He was asleep, or close to it. 

Buffy's eyes burned with tears. They streamed down her face. She reached out and stroked Spike's hollow cheek. Poor Spike.

Right then, for the first time, Buffy wished with all her heart that she could love Spike back. Not only for the sake of her baby and Spike, but also for herself. 

_________________________________________________

HA! I gave you a tiny bit of Spuffy! I am not a total angst queen.


	18. Love and Hate

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Chapter Eighteen- Love and Hate

Buffy opened her eyes. The sun shown through the window, bathing her in radiance. She was enveloped in something as warm as the rays. She moaned in contentment, rolling over. 

Her gaze fell on Spike. She soaked in the sight of him, noticing how childlike he looked while asleep. His hair was free of gel, falling in gentle curls around his face. The arm around her twitched, the first sign of his arousal. Everything came rushing back. She remembered their sleeping arrangements last night; and also his private conversation to their unborn child that she had invaded upon. 

Spike shifted, his crystal blue orbs coming to life. They focused on her. At that moment she could see the love the pair held. It had always been there, she was sure, but she had never truly acknowledged it until then. Probably because she hadn't wanted to. 

"Do you want me to go?" Spike asked. 

It was strange how fast something could change. Yesterday morning Buffy would have cast him aside without a second thought. 

"No," Buffy replied. "I want you to stay."

Shock and then confusion passed over him. He rose up on his elbows, taking her in. 

"What is this? There is only so much a bloke can take. Are you serious? I don't think I can stand it if you deny this ever happened and kick me aside."

She shook her head. "I'm through hurting you, Spike. It's not good for either of us. Or . . . Or our daughter."

"Is that what this is then? An attempt to make things right for the baby? A front so she won't suspect mummy hates daddy. I won't live a lie, Buffy."

Sadness fell over her. She'd done real damage to him. Would she be able to fix it? Or was it too late?

"I don't hate you, Spike. I haven't for a long time," she told him.

"What is it you feel then? Do you feel anything at all for me?"

She could tell from his voice that not feeling anything would be far worse than hate.

"I care about you," she truthfully said.

The expression on his face turned to hope. 

"And . . ." She took a deep breath. "I'd like to change that."

"Change it?" His tone was cold, thinking her words meant something else. 

"Yes," she said gently. "I'd like to make it more."

"What exactly are you saying, ducks?"

Pleading, Buffy asked, "Will you help me love you, Spike?"

That left him speechless. He stared at her in disbelief.

Smiling, she took his hand. "I think it would be best for all three of us. Don't you agree?"

His mouth slowly turned into a grin. "Buffy?" he choked. "I . . ."

"So, it's settled," she declared. "Buffy mission finding love is now in session."

That was how Spike became Buffy's boyfriend. No one fought it. Although, the most likely candidate to do so was missing. Two days went by and neither Xander no Anya had been seen. Everyone was worried. Even Spike was a little concerned. Mostly because they were important to Buffy, and Buffy was important to him. 

On the third day, Willow was considering going to Tara for help. Her ex-girlfriend could do a location spell to help. Just as she had made up her mind to do so, the two showed up. 

Xander and Anya came into the Magic Box, holding hands. Willow instantly stood up. She put on her resolve face, determined to find out answers. 

"You are in big trouble, mister!" Willow declared. "Where have you been?"

"Sorry, Will," Xander apologized. "I should have told you all that we were leaving."

"Yeah, you so should have. We were tempted to go to desperate measures. Like slapping your picture on milk cartons."

At that moment Buffy and Spike came out of the training room. Spike looked exhausted and sore, while Buffy was glowing and full of energy. The slayer held a bottle of water in her hands. She stopped in her tracks, uncertain, when she noticed Xander and Anya. 

Xander glanced Buffy's way. "It was on the spur of the moment. I . . ." 

Excitement came over Anya. "We have major news. Even more so than Buffy's announcement." She held up her hand. A golden band accompanied her diamond engagement ring. "Look, we got married!"

Buffy's mouth hung open in aghast. "What about the dream wedding you had planned?"

"We decided it wasn't needed. All it was doing was tearing us apart rather than bringing us together. We eloped."

Willow pouted. "I can't believe I missed your wedding, Xand."

"We might have another one later," Xander assured his friend. 

The red-head nodded. "You promise?"

"When we're ready. Right now I don't think I could handle it. I have enough to deal with."

"On that case . . ." Willow moved forward. She hugged Xander, and then even hugged a surprised Anya. "Congratulations."

Buffy stood there, longing to embrace her friend as well, but held back. 

"Can I tell the rest?" Anya eagerly asked. 

"Not yet, Ahn. In a bit. I have to do something first," Xander told her. His eyes landed on Buffy.

"Buffy, can I-uh, can I talk to you for a moment?" He glanced at Spike. "Alone."

Nodding, Buffy moved toward the back of the store. The newly wedded man followed behind her. They stopped near the couch in the training room. The two friends looked at each other awkwardly like strangers. 

Buffy broke the silence. "So, you went and got yourself a wife?"

"Yeah." He gave her a small smile. "I feel as if a huge weight has lifted off my shoulders. I realize now that it wasn't marrying Anya that was the problem. It was the whole wedding thing. All I wanted was to declare my love for Anya, not a big mess."

"Well, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks."

There was another pause between them. 

"About Spike," they both began at the same moment. 

They grinned. 

Buffy gestured to Xander. "You go first."

He sighed. "Buffy, you were right. What you do with your life is your business. I shouldn't try to interfere even if I don't approve."

"I'm sorry you were the last one to know," Buffy told him. "I wanted to tell you. You and Will were the ones I wanted to tell first, but I was afraid. I was afraid I might lose you guys."

"I don't wanna lose you either. I don't know what I'd do without you or Willow."

"Let's not find out."

They moved toward each other then, hugging tightly. Xander pulled back slightly.

"So, a baby, huh?" he asked. 

"Yeah. Can you deal with that?" she inquired. 

"I don't have to be nice to Spike do I?" 

Buffy laughed. "I'm not asking for miracles."

"Good, cause you aren't likely to get any."

"You might want to know something, Xander." She took a deep breath. "Spike is going to be hanging around a lot. We're sort of together."

Xander looked far from happy, but he tried to be accepting. "Are you in love with him?"

"No, I'm not. But I wish I was."

"How can you say that, Buffy?"

"You're supposed to be understanding Xander. Where'd he go?"

Sighing, he said, "All right. Living dead boy is going to be around, gotcha."

"And I might fall in love with him someday." She met his eyes. "Does the thought of that disgust you?"

"Yes," he told her, not being able to lie. "But if it ever happens I won't stand in your way. I'll grit my teeth and bear."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"Friends?"

Her smile brightened. "Friends," she confirmed. 

"As my friend," he began, "I'd like you to be the first to know something."

Curious, she asked, "What, Xand?"

"Anya's going to have a baby."

Her green eyes got large. "Oh my gosh!"

"Yeah."

"That is so great, Xander. You're going to be a daddy."

"Yeah."

"Are you excited?"

He nodded. "And petrified."

"I think that comes with the package."

Sudden understanding came over Buffy. "That's why Anya was upset the other day."

"Yeah," Xander agreed. "You know, Ahn, she likes the spotlight."

Buffy and Xander went back out into the main part of the store. Anya rushed over to meet them. 

"Can I tell now!?" Anya questioned. 

"Go ahead, Ahn," Xander said, giving the okay.

With a squeal, Anya proclaimed, "Xander and I are going to be parents."

__________________________________________

Was that free enough of angst for you all? : )


	19. The Absence of Love AKA Passion

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

Notes- This has direct quotes from Into the Woods.

Sorry, everyone. Another angsty part. But don't worry, it will lesson soon. 

Chapter Nineteen- The Absence of Love (AKA Passion)

Time passed. And with each passing day Buffy tried to love Spike. She paid attention to everything he did or said. Something grew inside her. Compassion? She felt for him in a way she never had before. But in that special place in her heart, where her memories of Angel resided, it lay dormant no matter how she longed to awaken it. 

Spike practically lived at the Summers' house. He even stored some clothes there for the many nights he shared with Buffy. They had sex often. It was no longer fucking in Buffy's mind, but was still far from making love. Each time, she opened herself up, attempting to turn her fire into something else. As her high came, she'd look him right in the eyes. She'd soak the blue pools in, attempting to steal some of that love they held. But it never worked. All she sensed when her orgasm washed over her was pleasure and satisfaction. 

Buffy entered her fourth month of pregnancy. She wore loose clothing, but if someone were to lift her top they would have been able to detect a very small bump. The day she had noticed, she had to share it with Spike.

She lay in bed, waiting for him. When he did come in, she instantly threw off the covers to expose herself. She was completely nude. 

"Come here," Buffy ordered. 

Of course Spike thought she was wanting sex. He still enjoyed their intimacy, but wasn't as eager as he used to be. Their bonding brought him sorrow afterward. He knew Buffy was trying, but he also knew that she wasn't succeeding. 

Spike came forward. When he stepped up to the bed, she pulled him down next to her. She took his hand and placed it over her middle.

"Feel that?" she questioned. 

How could he not? There was a slight curve to her usually flat belly. 

"That's our baby," she told him. "It's growing."

It continued to grow. Spike would monitor Buffy's stomach every day, delighting at how it seemed bigger than the last time. It was a miracle for both of them. 

Spike wondered if being human wasn't so bad after all.

**************************

Buffy sat at the table, drinking herbal tea and looking over the paper. She was relieved to see that there were no 'mysterious' deaths that morning. If there had been it would have worsened her slayer withdrawal. She felt so useless and frustrated. The others assured her that there weren't any signs of the Gestalt demon as of yet, and that their attempts at slaying were paying off. 

Just then Alexis entered the room. She halted, seemingly startled by Buffy's presence. She had been acting that way a lot lately. She tended to keep to herself most of the time, as if she were avoiding the rest of them. 

"Do you want breakfast?" Buffy asked, putting down the newspaper. "I can make you eggs."

"N-no thanks. I was just gonna have some fruit loops," Alexis informed. 

The slayer shrugged. "If that's what you want."

The teen got out the milk and started to dump cereal into a bowl. She drowned the fruit loops, and then dived a spoon into it. She prepared to exit the room. 

"Hey, Alexis, why don't you sit with me?" Buffy asked. She gestured to the stool beside her. 

Alexis hesitated. After a moment she gave in and went over to the empty seat. She hopped up. She began to eat in silence. 

Buffy bit her lip. She was worried about Alexis. The girl had been full of energy when she had first arrived. Now she seemed depressed. 

"So . . . " Buffy started. "Do you miss your time?"

Alexis put down her spoon. She didn't say anything. 

"I'm sorry," Buffy apologized. She touched Alexis's arm gently. 

Alexis's head jerked toward Buffy. The slayer froze. The girl's eyes were blue, but something in them eerily matched her own. They held pain and age far beyond anyone that young should possess.

"We'll find this Gestalt and eliminate it. You'll be home in no time."

Alexis got down from the stool. She took her empty bowl to the sink. She ran water over it. 

"You said we are friends in the future. Am I different then? Is it hard to be around me because of that?" 

Buffy was desperate. Talk, talk, she silently begged. She got her wish. 

"In the future we're happy," Alexis stated.

Hope passed over Buffy. "We're happy?"

"At least, that's what it seems like." It sounded like she wasn't sure if appearances could be deceiving or not.

"I know you're not supposed to say much. But please, can you tell me one thing?"

Alexis turned to face her. 

"Do I ever love Spike?"

Without any indication of feeling, Alexis said, "I don't know anymore." 

*************************

Spike arrived back to Buffy's house late that night. He was sweaty and achy from patrol. There had been more nasties to kill than normal. He held a broadsword that was covered in green goo. Before going inside, he rinsed it off with the hose. 

The house was dark and quiet. He groped his way upstairs. When he opened Buffy's door, faint light could be seen. Buffy was sitting in bed, waiting for him. The lamp was on, providing enough illumination for Buffy to read the baby book he had given her. She raised her head as he entered and put the book down. 

"Hey," the blonde slayer greeted. 

"Hey, luv," he replied. 

She got out of bed. He took in the pink nightgown she wore. She came up and kissed him on the lips. Her tongue delved between them, searching. 

When they parted, he noticed the hungry gleam in her eyes. 

"Buffy, I need a shower. I . . ."

She silenced him with another kiss. 

It wasn't long before their clothes were shed. They tumbled onto the bed, exploring each other. Spike realized how attentive she was to his caress. Tonight was about her. 

He entered her warmth, gasping at the tightness of her folds. Their movements were slow, savoring each thrust. Her hips gyrated, getting him to hit the right spot. 

Her green eyes kept in contact with his gaze. He watched intently, hoping beyond hope that he would see it. The spark he had been waiting for what seemed like eternity. All he saw was her heightening pleasure. 

He came. Seconds later she followed. They lay together. On a fundamental level Spike was sated. But deeper, he was left bereft from something he never had. 

The slayer fell into a peaceful sleep. He could hear her even breathing. He kept vigil of the shadows that fell across the room. 

A conversation of the past entered his mind. The words hit him hard. 

"_Sometimes I envy you so much it chokes me. And sometimes I think I got the better deal. To be that close to her and not have her. To be all alone even when you're holding her. Feeling her, feeling her beneath you. Surrounding you. The scent ... No, you got the better deal. "_

They had been spoken to Riley. He had never felt a bit of sympathy toward the git. He didn't now. But he had to admit he understood what the man had gone through. 

Spike had turned into a duplicate of Riley Finn. Buffy's normal boyfriend. The one she kept around for convenience. The one she tried to love, but couldn't. 

__

"The girl needs some monster in her man."

He glanced over at his slumbering slayer. He ran a hand over her golden locks. He wished he could change into something she could love. Buffy couldn't love him as a demon, and she couldn't love him as the man he was now. What else was there to be?

_______________________________________________

I know, I know, that was sad. I'm so sorry, but I had to do it. Things will get better. I promise. 


	20. Fade Out

****

Eclipse of the Heart

By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. 

This is where the exciting stuff starts. Enjoy. 

Chapter Twenty- Fade Out

The full moon had finally arrived. The night when werewolves prowled and witches performed their prime spells. Celeste had made Judas wait until then. She said the magic she needed couldn't be reached just any time. He swore that if she failed he would snap her neck. He had wasted valuable time because of her. 

She knelt by a fire. The flames danced, illuminating her exotic features. She had raven hair that cascaded down to her waist. Her eyes were green that glowed like a cat. 

Impatiently, Judas said, "What do you see?" 

The witch ignored him. She chanted something under her breath. Her hands floated through the air. 

"Where is the slayer!?" Judas demanded. 

"That is of no consequence," Celeste told him. 

"What do you mean!? Isn't that why we're doing this whole damn spell!" 

He took a menacing step toward the woman. 

"You will not have to go to the slayer. She will come to you."

"And how will I arrange that?" He gritted his teeth.

"There is one amongst her that does not belong and does at the same time. If we hurt her, it will hurt the slayer."

What was it with him being surrounded by crazy people? First the Gestalt and now her. Someone who does not belong and does at the same time?

"Okay, how do I find this one who does not belong and does at the same time?" Judas questioned. 

Celeste turned. An unnatural gleam shown in her gaze. "Come with me."

She began to walk. Judas followed, uncertain about this whole thing. 

*************************

Alexis needed to get away. She couldn't take one moment more in the same house as Buffy and Spike. The sight of them together made her sick. They were trying too hard. Going through the motions as a couple, yet not fooling anyone. Their eyes told the truth. 

Without anyone noticing, she left. It wasn't hard. No one seemed to pay attention to her lately anyway. Everyone was caught up in other things. No one cared about time travel girl. Probably because the Gestalt demon hadn't made a move. That was the only reason they kept her around. She was useful with the info. 

She crept through the night, a stake in her grasp. She scanned the landscape, prepared to attack anything that moved. She had been patrolling before, although never alone. She was confident that she would be all right. 

It was then that a woman came out of the darkness. Something about her screamed trouble. Maybe it was her eyes. No normal human could have eyes like that. She raised her stake.

The woman laughed. "Silly, child. I am not a vampire." The woman raised her hand. A force made the stake shoot out of Alexis's grip. "I am something else entirely."

With horror, Alexis stared at her fallen weapon. She moved to grab it again, but somebody from behind grabbed her. She struggled, but the hands that held her were strong and rough. 

Cold breath could be felt on the side of her face. "I am the vampire, little girl," she heard in her ear. 

The voice made her freeze. She knew who this was. Judas. The vamp behind this whole thing. He was the reason the Gestalt came here in the first place. The Gestalt wasn't the real threat. It was Judas. 

She was in deep shit. 

*************************

Dawn came into the living room. She crossed her arms, rolling her eyes at Buffy. Her sister was on the couch watching a soap opera. The scene wasn't uncommon. That was all she seemed to do anymore- sit on the couch and stare at the screen. Oh, and eat. She ate a lot now. The throwing up had stopped to be replaced with a great urge to consume everything. 

Buffy glanced over at her sibling. "This is so sad," she commented. "This guy is in love with this girl, but he thinks that she is married. But she's not. She's only pretending to be so that her old boyfriend will leave her alone. Oh, and she might be pregnant by this other guy who got her drunk."

Dawn raised an eyebrow. 

"Have you seen Alexis?" Dawn asked. 

"No, why? Is she missing?" Buffy replied. 

"I can't find her anywhere."

"Maybe she's at Giles'." Buffy furrowed her brow. "I don't get it. They've been hanging out a lot together."

"I'll call."

Dawn went to call Giles. She picked up the phone, dialed, and waited for an answer. There was none even after six rings. He must not be home, Dawn reasoned. 

All of a sudden there was a sound of pain from Buffy. Dawn rushed out of the kitchen. She found Buffy at the top of the stairs. The slayer was holding the banister tightly, her other hand clutching her stomach. 

"Buffy, are you all right?" Dawn questioned, worried. 

Just then Spike came into view. "What is going on?" he demanded. 

"I'm fine, guys," Buffy stated, straightening up. She took a deep breath. "I was just heading back down from the bathroom. I felt a pain in my middle, but it's gone now. I'm fine."

A frown was on Spike's face. "Stay right where you are. I'm coming to get you."

"I'm not an invalid! I can get down the stairs," Buffy spat. 

Buffy began to make her way down the steps. She was fine until she made it halfway. She let out a cry, losing her balance. Spike rushed past Dawn, catching the slayer before she tumbled. He scooped his girlfriend up, heading up to the bedroom. 

Spike laid Buffy down on the bed. He sat down beside her on the mattress. He smoothed back her hair, gazing into her pained face. 

"What is it, luv?" 

"It hurts," she gasped. 

He swallowed. Fear rose up in his chest. "Is it the baby?"

Buffy shut her eyes. "I-I think so," she confessed. "It feels . . . It feels like there is this giant fire in my abdomen."

Spike instantly jumped off the bed. "We're going to the hospital!"

She grabbed his arm. "No! Get Tara. She can check me out first. This might be supernatural."

"All right. But if she says this isn't magical you are going straight to Sunnydale General."

She nodded. 

Spike hurried out of the room. He caught a hiss from Buffy as he stepped out into the hall. 

*************************

Alexis let out a piercing scream. Electricity streamed into her, filling her with agony. Finally it stopped. She slumped over, drained. 

"Do you know what I just did to you, child?" Celeste, who Alexis had learned was a witch, asked.

"Um, hit me with some power that fucking hurts?" Alexis answered.

Celeste grinned coldly. "I stole some of your life away."

"Oh."

Well that explained why Alexis felt so tired. Was that their master plan? Hit her with some mojo that sapped her until her heart just didn't have the strength to beat anymore? That'd do it all right. She'd never be born. She'd never fulfill the prophecy. Which meant Judas would remain a vampire. 

"So, you're going to kill me then?" 

The grin on Celeste's face widened. "Eventually. After your precious mother gets here to watch."

Alexis struggled against the chains that were wrapped around her wrists, connecting her to the wall. It was no use. She was so weak from the power, and even if she wasn't the bonds were too strong. She slumped, giving up, and letting out a sob. 

"Mommy," she whispered. 

**************************

Spike walked into Buffy's room with Tara and Giles. The slayer lay on the bed, very pale. She didn't seem to be in any pain at the moment, but looked small and frightened. 

The witch stepped over to Buffy's side. She took Buffy's hand. "We're here. Spike called me. He also asked Giles to come as well."

Buffy gave a small smile at the ex-vampire. "Thanks," she murmured. 

"Okay, sweetie, let me have a look," Tara said soothingly. 

Buffy allowed the other woman to push the covers aside. Then Tara lifted Buffy's shirt, exposing the slight curve of pregnancy. She placed her hands on Buffy's stomach, closing her eyes. She searched with her mind, calling upon the goddess for vision. 

Suddenly Tara's normally soft eyes opened to reveal alarmed ones. 

Buffy sat up a little. "What is it!?"

"Something is draining your baby's strength," Tara explained. 

Buffy protectively hugged her belly. "How?"

"They must be doing it from afar. Buffy hasn't come in contact with any bads lately," Spike reasoned. 

"I-It's strange," Tara said. She frowned. "A weakening spell needs physical contact."

"Dear lord," Giles muttered. 

Everybody turned toward the watcher. He returned their stare with one of gloom.

"I may know what is causing this."

"What!?" Spike demanded. He clenched his hands into fists. 

Giles bowed his head. "I may regret this later, but under the circumstances at the moment I feel that I must disregard my digression."

"What do you mean?" Buffy inquired. 

"I've been keeping information from you all," he confessed. 

"Like what!?" Buffy's voice rose to one of approaching anger.

Giles lifted his head. He met Buffy's eyes. "Your daughter is in danger because someone has her this very moment. Someone is able to drain her with physical contact as we speak." 

"That's impossible," Spike commented. "How can someone have physical contact when she's still in her mum's womb?" He snickered. "Unless she can be in two places at once."

"That is exactly what I'm saying. Your daughter is in two places at once. One lies in Buffy's stomach, and another is somewhere out there in the hands of our enemy."

"Have you gone completely off your rocker!" 

Irritated, Giles said, "No, I am not mad." He sighed. He glanced around at the other three occupants. "Alexis." He said the name as if it explained everything. 

"What about Alexis?" Buffy questioned. 

"Alexis is your daughter, Buffy. Your daughter from the future."

______________________________________________________

What do you think? Sorry for the wait.


	21. Future Events Part I

Chapter 21-Future Events Part I

(2016)

Alexis opened the door and entered her house. She gestured for Sirena to follow. The other girl obeyed. She was the same age as Alexis, with short brown hair and emerald eyes. She acted shy around everyone except her best friend and family.

"Come on, we'll find my mom and ask about you spending the night," Alexis stated.

Sirena nodded. She followed Alexis. They searched the house, finding it empty.

Puzzlement fell over Alexis. "Mom should be home. She doesn't work today."

"Do you think she went shopping?" Sirena offered.

Alexis shrugged. "Maybe. She might have gone out to buy Aunt Dawn a birthday present."

That was when the door was heard opening. Both girls hurried to see who it was. Buffy and Giles entered the living room. Alexis froze at the expressions on their faces. She moved a hand in front of Sirena, blocking her from leaving the kitchen also.

"Something is wrong," Alexis whispered. "Mom and Grandpa Giles look worried."

The two adults sat down on the couch. Buffy sighed. "I can't believe this is happening. I thought I'd never have to deal with this sort of thing again.

"Yes, so did I," Giles replied.

Next to the kneeling Alexis, Sirena whispered, "We shouldn't be spying."

Alexis hissed at her friend to stay quiet.

"So is that our only option? Why can't Willow and Tara just do a spell to send him back to hell?" Buffy questioned.

Alexis turned toward Sirena. The girl was intent on eavesdropping too now. It was the mention of her mothers, no doubt. Sirena had been adopted by both Willow and Tara. She had barely been seven months old when her parents died. The two witches were the only ones she could remember bringing her up.

"It's not that simple, Buffy," Giles informed. "Spells from this time won't reach into the past."

"How convenient." 

Alexis stiffened. Past? This was too weird.

"So, I'm sorry, but the only way to stop this is to send someone back."

"And it has to be Alexis?" Buffy said it flatly.

"Sending one of us is out of the question. The same atoms can't exist in the same time." Giles looked over at his substitute daughter. He understood how she felt. He had experienced it every time he sent her off to another apocalypse. But it simply had to be done when the world was at risk.

Giles touched Buffy's arm. "She's the only one capable of doing this. She has the strength and the passion. She can stop this."

A nod of comprehension came from the former slayer. Darkness suddenly crossed her face. "But at what cost?"

___________________________________________

: ) More is on its way. 


	22. A Cry in the Dark

Chapter Twenty- Two- A Cry in the Dark

Willow arrived to hear commotion upstairs. She had been at the library, studying for an exam her professor had warned the students about. The red-head followed the voices to Buffy's room. She pushed the door open to see Giles, Tara, Dawn, Spike, and Buffy. Buffy was in bed, a weird expression on her face. Her eyes were vacant, seemingly faraway. 

"Hey, guys," Willow said, her voice a little uncertain. 

Giles glanced over. "Willow," he acknowledged. 

"What's up?"

Buffy suddenly came out of her daze. "Giles dropped a bombshell on us, that's what." Her voice was harsh. "Alexis seems to be my daughter."

Blinking, Willow tried to comprehend this. "What? How?"

Buffy crossed her arms. She turned to her mentor. "We were just getting to that." She raised an eyebrow, expectantly. 

Giles cleared his throat. "I found out a couple weeks ago. I found a prophecy. I deduced her origin by the passages. She will someday save us all from demons. She was telling the truth about that part. It told of how she would be born of a slayer and vampire given breath. I assume the words refer to Spike's transformation."

"Weeks! You knew for weeks!? And you had no intention of telling me!"

"Calm down, will you." Giles took off his glasses. He sighed. "Alexis made me see that the information could drastically change the future. Which is most likely unavoidable now."

"Who's to say that that is a bad thing? We might all end up as millionaires now." She let out a humorless laugh. 

"Yes, but we don't know for sure."

"There's something you could enlighten me on, watcher," Spike spoke up. "How can Alexis be in two places at once? Didn't you mention something about how there couldn't be doubles?"

"Uh, normally that would be true. The risk of atoms colliding is too great. Alexis is able to exist in two forms because one is currently secluded in Buffy's womb. There is no danger of Alexis touching herself. Buffy's stomach serves as a barrier to . . ."

A moan escaped Buffy, interrupting Giles's explanation. Spike went into action. He knelt by her side, looking her over. He brushed hair out of her face, searching her face. 

"Are you in pain again, pet?" Spike asked. 

She nodded, not able to form words. 

Willow watched, confused. "What is wrong with Buffy?"

"Sh-She is feeling the pain that Alexis is. The future Alexis's essence is the same as the one in this time. Someone is sapping it dry. Buffy can feel the baby's peril," Tara got out.

The red-head fixed her gaze on her ex-girlfriend. "Is there a way to stop it?"

Tara pondered this a moment. "M-maybe I can severe the link between mother and child." She addressed Buffy. "I can't heal Alexis. I'm sorry. I could make it so that you wouldn't have to feel the pain, though."

The slayer cupped her middle. Her eyes glistened. She shook her head. 

"No. I won't be able to feel her. And if I can't . . ." Buffy took a shaky breath. "At least with the pain I know she is still alive."

Spike took Buffy's hand and squeezed it. He couldn't stand the thought of Buffy being in so much agony. He couldn't stand the thought of their daughter . . . Alexis suffering either. 

He couldn't believe it. He had been around Alexis for awhile now and hadn't even had a suspicion. True, he had noticed something between them. They had some sort of bond. But he hadn't realized . . . She was so strong and beautiful. Like her mother. Her eyes. His chest swelled as he imagined her gaze. Those blue orbs matched his own. Pride spread through him as the miracle of it all crashed down on him. He was a father. Buffy and he had given life to an amazing creature. 

Pressure crushed Spike's hand. He realized that it was Buffy. She was clenching him as another blow hit her. This time it wasn't only a moan that came out of her, but a full out bellow. 

"I can't stand this," Spike growled. He snapped his head to the side. He pointed at Willow and then at Tara. "One of you Wiccas, I don't give a bloody damn who, is going to find my daughter."

"I-I can't," Willow muttered. 

Spike nodded. "Right then. Glinda, you've been elected."

"I can try," Tara replied. 

Fire flared in his eyes. "You won't 'try', you will 'do'!" 

Tara jumped, startled by the tone he used. 

Spike looked away, ashamed. "Sorry, ducks. Didn't mean ta . . ."

"N-no, it's okay. I understand."

"Do what you can. Please."

"I will."

Buffy collapsed against the pillows. The tremors of pain had ceased, leaving her exhausted. She was sweaty and her eyes fluttered, wanting to close. 

"Spike," Buffy whispered. 

He stroked the side of her face. "What is it? Is there anything I can do?"

"Help her. Please, Spike," she pleaded. 

"We'll find her and bring her home to us."

Buffy held both his hands in her grasp. "I can feel her so strongly. I think she's ready to give up. I'm . . ." Buffy let out a sob. "I'm afraid she's dying."

"No," Spike said firmly. "She's going to be all right. The good witch'll do a location spell. Then we can storm in there and kick the git's ass that stole our lil' girl from us."

A small smile formed on Buffy's mouth. "I believe you." She kissed his palm and then let him go. Her eyes closed. 

He kissed her forehead. "Sleep, slayer. Everything will be right as rain when you wake up. Spike'll fix everythin."

************************

A while later Buffy awoke to feel Spike stroking her cheek. She forced her eyes open, focusing on his concerned features. 

"We found out where she is," he told her. 

His words made her more alert. She sat up and then swung her legs over the side of the bed. 

"What are you doing?" 

Buffy got to her feet. Her legs were wobbly, but she managed to support her weight. 

"I'm going to find my daughter, that's what," she declared in a determined voice.

The bleached-blonde grabbed her shoulders. He stared her hard in the face. "What if another attack hits? I can't let you come, much too risky."

She shook her head. She thrust his hands off her. "I am going!"

"Think rationally, slayer!"

She took a deep breath. "Fine. Get Tara in here. She can do that separating spell she was talking about. Then I can join the action without feeling Alexis's pain."

"Buffy . . ." Spike sighed. 

"I can't stay here just lying around. I'm the slayer, damnit. You have to understand." Her hand touched her rounded belly. "She's my little girl, Spike. Please." She pleaded with her eyes. 

How was it that he could never deny her anything? "Bloody hell. Okay. I'll get the witch in here so that she can do her hocus pocus on you."

Tara agreed to do the spell. Before performing the magic she informed everyone that it would deplete her reserves for the night, though. Afterward, Tara collapsed on the couch, exhausted. Buffy was left refreshed and ready for battle. She thanked the other woman tremendously for helping her. 

Tara offered Buffy a tired smile. "You're welcome."

Dawn offered to stay with Tara. She already knew that her sister would not allow her to join the fight. 

Buffy, Spike, Giles, and Willow suited up with weapons and headed out into the night. 

************************

Alexis could hardly keep her eyes open. She had already passed out a couple times and fought doing so again. She watched the vampire and witch interact before her. There had also been a demon that had made a brief appearance. He was gross looking with gray skin. She deduced that it must be the Gestalt. 

"Why have you stopped?" Judas angrily asked. 

"Because," Celeste replied," Anymore could kill her."

"That is our goal, or have you forgotten?"

"Yes, but we need her alive to drawl the slayer to us."

Judas growled, frustrated. He was losing patience. This woman seemed to forget who was in charge. 

Just then the door to his lair was thrown open. His head snapped to the side, taking in the commanding form of the slayer. She wore fitting black attire, crossbow in hand. Beside her stood a bleach-blonde man. He held a sword, a menacing look on his face. Two others were behind them, but Judas paid little attention to them. 

Buffy pointed her weapon at Judas. She glanced around at his lair. It resembled a castle dungeon. "You could use a decorator," she remarked. She smiled over at her companion. "Makes your crypt look like a palace."

Spike smirked. It quickly dissipated when he noticed the girl hanging by her wrists. She raised her head, her eyes meeting his with hope. He took a step toward Judas, his sword raised. He was halted by Celeste, however. She made the blade slip out of his grasp, and cause him to freeze in place.

Willow's eyes enlarged. She was very powerful. She noted the emerald eyes that gleamed with supremacy. This woman had been taken down the route of darkness and had let it consume her. She shivered. 

"Spike!" Buffy called. 

"I can't move. The bint has me in her control," Spike said. 

A crooked, unnerving grin formed on Celeste's mouth. "Watch your daughter die," she told Buffy. 

The witch aimed at Alexis. Things happened very fast then. Spike found that he could move again. She must not be able to concentrate on two things at once, he thought. He bolted forward, putting himself in the line of her attack instead. The electricity hit him. The bolts seeped into his skin, sucking at his essence.

"Spike!" Buffy shrieked. 

The distraction allowed Judas to make his move. He rammed at Buffy. He tackled her to the ground. She kicked at him, getting him off of her. Normally she would have been able to jump back to her feet, but do to her pregnancy that wasn't an option. She struggled to get up, which was a slow process. Judas recovered quicker. He grabbed hold of her, tossing her into the wall. She hit it hard, letting out a grunt. 

Giles went into rescue mode. He came at Judas with a battle axe. The middle-aged man wasn't a bad fighter. He was trained well in mortal combat. But this was a vampire of high ranking. Not a master yet, but definitely not your average fledgling. He cut the vampire across the chest, wounding him. He almost decapitated the vamp as well, but Judas blocked. The blade hit Judas's arm instead. 

Meanwhile, Willow rushed to Alexis's aid. She knelt by the girl's side. 

"Are you all right?" 

Alexis nodded. 

"The key. Do you know where it is?" Willow urged. 

"N-No. It's . . . magically bound."

Damnit, Willow silently cursed. She closed her eyes, waging an inner war with herself. Finally she came to a decision. 

Willow put her hands over the manacles. She muttered a small incantation. It's no big, she thought. I'm not calling on the forces of darkness or anything. The locks broke, freeing Alexis's wrists. 

The teen fell, not able to support herself. She looked off at the scene around her. "Oh my God," she whispered. 

"I know," Willow said. "But everything is gonna be all right."

Alexis shook her head. "No, it isn't." Tears sprung to her eyes. "You have to help them," she insisted. 

Willow stood up. She spotted Spike's fallen sword and grabbed it. 

"No," Alexis begged. "They're too strong. Use your magic. Please."

The red-head evaluated her surroundings. Buffy was in a heap across the room. Spike was being consumed by Celeste. And Giles . . . At that moment she witnessed the watcher's arm get twisted. Giles screamed out as bone snapped. Things weren't going very well. In fact, they were certainly losing.

The room spun. She distantly heard Alexis plead with her again. 

Wind from nowhere swirled around Willow. Blackness swallowed her vision. 

"Hectate, hear my cry!" 

_________________________________________________

Eight pages of goodness for you. : ) Hope you liked


	23. Come Back to Me

AN- I don't know Willow's eye color. I looked at a few pics and it looked either gray or green. I'm going to say gray cuz it seemed more that color to me. If I'm wrong sorry. 

Thanks everybody for the reviews. : ) They make me feel all warm and fuzzy, and make me want to give you more. 

Oh, and I am not putting magic down. Magic is a good thing. But Willow is letting it rule her at the moment. She is letting it take her over like in season 6. But later on you'll find out from Tara that it doesn't have to be that way.

Chapter Twenty- Three- Come Back to Me

Willow could feel the power course through her veins. It had been so long. Too long since she felt magic. She could feel her body soaking it up like a sponge. 

She turned toward Celeste. She unleashed her wrath upon the other witch. The blast threw Celeste away from Spike. She kept hitting the woman even after she was obviously dead. 

"Willow!?" 

Willow tore her eyes away from Celeste. Her eyes met Buffy. The slayer was picking herself up from the floor with a wince. 

"Willow, stop! She's dead! It's over. Stop!" 

If Willow could have seen herself at that moment she would have seen an unrecognizable creature. She was wild, her eyes going from black to their usual gray. She fought with herself to get under control again. Eventually her eyes cleared. She fell to her knees, shaking, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Buffy couldn't care for her best friend. She moved past Willow toward Spike. He lay still and pale. He appeared to be dead. Even more so than as a vampire. She got down to his level, drawing him close. 

"Spike," Buffy whispered, barely audible. 

There was no response. She placed his hand to the pulse point on the side of his neck. She couldn't sense anything under her fingers. She searched around, sure she wasn't pressing in the right place. But she still couldn't find any indication of blood flowing. 

"No." She shook her head. She took her palm and moved it to his chest. She couldn't feel anything there either. "No!" Enraged and desperate, she shook the ex-vampire. 

"You can't do this to me, Spike! You bastard!"

Behind her, Alexis huddled in a corner. Fright was written all over her face. "Daddy," she muttered. 

Buffy raised her head. Water shimmered in her gaze. "Does anyone know CPR?" She looked around for her watcher. He should know. When she found him her heart squeezed. He was unconscious. 

"Please," Alexis begged. "Do something." She was beseeching with Willow, who was now more composed. 

The red-head took a ragged breath. "I- can't." Her voice was hoarse. 

Alexis got to her feet. She staggered and would have teetered to the ground, but Buffy acted with slayer speed. She caught her daughter, holding her to her as if she were a lifeline. The teen surrendered to her mother's embrace. 

"Make her do something," Alexis demanded in a muffled tone. 

Buffy closed her eyes, overcome with conflicting emotions. When she opened them again she was surprised to see Willow by Spike's side. 

"Stop me if I let it take me over," Willow said addressing her friend. 

Buffy nodded. 

Willow placed her hands over Spike's heart. She breathed deeply. Sparks seeped out of her, going into Spike. His body jerked off the ground. Willow repeated the action a couple times. Mother and daughter watched, captivated. 

Suddenly Willow collapsed away from Spike. She panted, exhausted. 

"D-Did it work?" Willow stammered. 

Buffy and Alexis checked on the man most important in their life. Relief spread over them to discover that his chest rose and fell. His skin was warm and deeper in color. 

Buffy rocked Alexis. "Everything's going to be okay," she assured her. 

Alexis let her eyes droop, letting sleep take her over. 

No one noticed that a certain vampire was no longer around. He had escaped right after Willow called upon the goddess for help.

*************************

Alexis slept all the way home. She needed to replenish the strength Celeste had stolen from her. They put her on the couch when they got there. Tara was revived now and had no problem giving it up. 

Giles had woken up shortly after Willow had saved Spike. He insisted on going to the hospital and getting his arm set. Buffy wished she could have taken Spike there as well, but this was a mystical case and the medics wouldn't know what to do. Willow had started Spike's heart, but he was far from healed. 

Spike was taken immediately to Buffy's room. She hid away with him, locking the door. 

Willow sat at the dining room table. She felt itchy and not right. She was startled when Tara came into view. 

"Willow, what exactly happened tonight?" the blonde asked. 

Willow began to cry. "I'm so sorry, Tara. I'm so sorry."

"What did you do?" Tara demanded, fearing the worse. 

"I used magic," she confessed. "I've been trying not to because I knew you would never take me back if I did. But it was the only way. If I didn't then the witch would have killed us all. And Spike . . . I saw pain on Alexis and Buffy. I had to save him."

Tara sat down beside her lost ex-girlfriend. 

"I don't see how this is a bad thing, Willow."

"How can you say that?" Willow looked over, confused. 

"You did good. Magic was needed. It wasn't some game you were playing to have fun. Don't you see the difference? I don't disapprove of you using magic. I disapprove of the way you use it."

"You didn't see me," Willow went on unsteadily. "I felt all this power and I wanted to show it off. It was intoxicating. I almost let it engulf me."

Tara looked away for a moment. Then she turned back and put a comforting hand on Willow's arm. "But you didn't."

A sob escaped Willow. "I could have."

"Y-yes, you could have. The problem is that you don't control the magic, you let it control you. This witch you killed let the magic blacken her heart. But it doesn't have to be that way. Instead it can cleanse you, making you a better person."

Their eyes met. An understanding passed through them then. Willow fell into Tara's warm embrace. 

"Help me," Willow begged. 

Tara ran a hand over Willow's hair. 

"Help me know the right way."

**************************

Buffy couldn't take her eyes off Spike. He looked . . . empty. Was he even there inside? Or was he only a shell?

"I. . . I thought I lost you," she said. 

She hoped he could hear her. Even if he was somewhere else she hoped that maybe it would bring him back. Didn't she read somewhere that talking to someone in a coma could make them wake up? Is that what had happened to Spike? Did he become comatose?

Buffy reached for his hand. She interlocked their fingers. They fit perfectly. Like two puzzle pieces. Why hadn't she ever realized that before?

"I've never been so scared. And that's saying something. I've been through a lot being the slayer."

She held back the tears that threatened to fall. 

"When I thought . . . It was as if something was being taken away. As if half of me was missing."

The dam broke. 

"Why'd you do it?" A wobbly smile came to her face. "Stupid question. I know you had to do it. I know you had to save our little girl. But . . ."

Buffy gasped. A slight fluttering sensation could be sensed in her belly. At first she panicked, not knowing what it was. And then it hit her. 

"Oh my god." Her wobbly smile turned into a bright grin. She took Spike's hand and placed it on her abdomen. "That's her. Our daughter. Alexis. She's kicking. She's saying hello to us."

Until that moment Buffy hadn't really taken in the fact that this was all real. She was going to be a mother. There was something growing inside her. Something Spike and she created. 

"Come back, Spike. Please come back. Alexis and I need you." 

She waited for a response. Anything. She studied his face. There was nothing. He remained slack.

"You win, Spike. This game we've been playing. This dancing contest. Well, you've won." 

It took her a moment to be able to continue. 

"You get the grand prize, Spike. You get my heart. All you gotta do is wake up and take it. Please." Her voice broke. "I love you."

______________________________________________

Awww, wasn't that sweet? And kinda sad too. 


	24. Future Events Part II

Chapter Twenty-Four- Future Events Part II

(2016)

It was Alexis's prompt to come out of hiding. "You're sending me?"

Surprise overcame Buffy. Her head sprung over toward Alexis. She examined the direction her daughter had emerged from. She frowned as she saw Sirena step shyly out of the kitchen as well.

"How much did you hear?" Buffy asked.

"Everything," Alexis confessed.

A sigh escaped Buffy. She sat back. "It's for the best that you did, I suppose."

Just then someone entered the house. He was bleach-blonde and wearing a very worn duster. "They want me to work Saturday. Bloody hell," he muttered. He stopped when he took them all in. The expressions of worry on his wife and Giles were alarming. "What is wrong?"

Buffy went over to meet him. She met his gaze. "Spike," she whispered.

He reached out and hugged her. She buried her face in his chest. He stroked her silky hair. "What's the matter, luv?"

Spike shifted his eyes to Giles. "What's Rupert here for?" 

The only reply the former watcher gave was, "Hello, Spike." Not quite a tone of friendship, but of acceptance.

"I've been elected to visit the past," Anne informed her father. She sounded giddy.

Spike blinked. "Huh, what?"

Buffy stirred. She drew away from the comfort of Spike's warmth. And then it hit her, how important this was. If Alexis didn't go back, she wouldn't have this. Judas would probably kill her and Alexis would never be born. The world would be never be cleansed. Vampires would walk among the land until eternity.

Buffy wiped her eyes. She was ready to handle this. She led her husband to the couch. "It's time."

Those words seemed to answer everything. Alexis and Sirena were the only ones clueless, needing the whole scenario explained. Somehow Spike already knew exactly what was going on, which his daughter thought was strange. 

"You have to warn your parents in the past. If you don't Judas will likely kill your mother. Which will prevent you from being born," Giles concluded. "Vampires will never become human again. Demons won't be sent back to hell."

"No problem," Alexis commented. "I'll just go kick some demon a. . . butt." 

She was so excited. She'd listened to all the stories about her mother saving the world. She wanted to do the same. Life for her was so boring, too mundane. She longed for adventure, being the heroine. She'd make her parents proud.

"This is serious, Alexi. It isn't fun and games!" Buffy scolded.

"Your mum's right," Spike backed up. "She actually died from the mojo that happened back then."

A sudden determination swept through her. "Well, I'm gonna keep it that way. 'Back then.' If someone doesn't stop this thing, darkness will continue into now," Alexis said.

Buffy hugged her daughter. She was so proud of her, but so scared at the thought of losing her.

"You have it in you, what makes the slayer. The flame that keeps ya goin. That's what made your mum so successful. We're just afraid of what you'll do to achieve it," Spike told Alexis.

"Don't go ballistic. I'm not gonna jump into any big balls of light," Alexis assured them.

"Good. Cuz I'd bloody well would go to heaven and drag you back here," Spike said.

Alexis smiled. She knew he would too. 

Giles turned to Sirena. The girl had stood, silently, in the corner listening. "Sirena, please go tell Willow and Tara that they are needed."

Sirena blinked. "Okay," she said, lowly. Then she headed to the door.

The former slayer, now wife and mother, watched her family with tenderness. Finally, after a long suffering hell on Earth, she had reached contentment. An ache rose inside her chest. She didn't know what she would do if it were taken away. 

***********************

The whole gang arrived. Tara and Willow prepared for the time portal, setting up ingredients. Xander and Anya arrived with their son, Nick. William had been dragged from the neighbor's house, very displeased. 

"We were just about to play this new video game," Will had complained to his father. That was until he learned why he had been brought home. Then he became very quiet. 

"This is very important, Alexis," Giles told her. "Don't tell our past selves why you are there. It could drastically change the order of things. We aren't supposed to know of things until it is time."

"Um . . . Okay," Alexis 

Tara and Willow announced that they were ready. 

Everyone said their goodbyes to Alexis. 

Buffy kissed and hugged her daughter. "Be careful," she said. 

Alexis nodded, hugging her mother back. 

"I know you'll do great, sunshine," Spike remarked, using his nickname for her. 

"Don't do anything stupid," Anya warned. "And if your parents don't act exactly like they do now don't be too alarmed. They eventually will shape up and have many wonderful orgasms without guilt."

Her husband shook his head. He was used to her outbursts by now. 

Nick and Alexis stared at each other, not quite sure what to say. Alexis had a huge crush on Nick, but she wasn't sure if the boy felt that way about her. She knew he liked her as a friend, though he had given no indication that he wanted to progress further. 

Surprising everyone, Nick quickly kissed Alexis on the cheek. 

"I'll see you when you get back," he said. 

Alexis blinked. Her heart beat furiously. Now if that wasn't hopeful. . .

William stared at the floor, uncomfortably. Then he stepped forward. He embraced his sister. 

"I'm scared, Alexi" he confessed. 

"Don't worry, Will," Alexis told him." I'll be back in no time and boss you around like I always do."

They smiled at each other. 

Tara and Willow conjured up the portal. It spun in the room like a whirlwind. 

Before stepping through, Alexis shifted to her parents. "Oh, when I get back can Sirena spend the night?"

With shimmering eyes, Buffy replied, "Of course. Just come back safely."

And then Alexis was gone. 

***********************

Buffy leaned against Spike. The portal had closed, leaving the living room in silence. 

"Tell me she'll be all right," she asked her husband. 

"She'll be all right. You remember, right? She does a good job."

"Yes, but what if she somehow changes the past? Ugh, this time travel stuff is so confusing."

_______________________________________________________

What do you think? 

Yep, Buffy and Spike have a son. : ) 

And they remember Alexis going back because they remember their past. Does that make sense? If not it will hopefully be explained in the next chapter.


	25. Tipsy

Chapter Twenty-Five- Tipsy

Buffy had drifted off against her will. She jarred back awake when a pounding hit her ears. As she was brought out of her groggy state, she realized that it was someone knocking on the door. 

"Who is it?" the slayer called. 

Out in the hall, the visitor timidly replied. "It-It's me."

She instantly stood up. She went to the door and flung it open to come face-to-face with Alexis. The girl still looked worn-out, but she was fully alert. 

"Would you like to come in?" Buffy questioned. She widened the entrance invitingly. 

Alexis cautiously stepped into the dim bedroom. Her eyes landed on her future father's form. 

"Is he. . . Will he be all right?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "I hope so." 

The teen hugged herself. She seemed cold and lost. "I'm sorry I lied." The words were soft. "I didn't want to."

There was an awkward silence. 

Buffy wondered what Alexis must be thinking right then. All the terrible things she had said about her pregnancy had to have hit the girl hard. Buffy felt absolutely guilty about that. 

"I'm sorry too."

"For what?" Alexis asked, confused. 

Buffy pulled Alexis into her arms. "For saying things I didn't mean. I love you, Alexi. I'm so glad you were brought to us."

Involuntary tears sprung to Alexis's eyes. She held her mother back hard. "I love you too . . . Mom."

***********************

Downstairs, Willow also opened a door to someone. 

"Xander Harris, where have you been?" she demanded. 

The man entered the house, offering a smile. "Hey, Will. Sorry I wasn't around yesterday. I was sorta a busy bee."

"So were we. Everyone had to rescue Alexis and face the big bad."

Xander removed his jacket. He hung it up by the door.

"Wish I could have been there. Sounds like fun." There was no sarcasm in his voice. "And that's saying a lot."

Willow frowned. "Where were you?"

His face darkened. "Oh, well, I was at Sunnydale Memorial with Anya for awhile watching my offspring on a screen. That wasn't the bad part. The bad part came after."

The two friends went into the living room. They both sat down on the couch, facing each other. 

"I can't imagine what could be worse than facing a vampire and super-witch," Willow commented. 

"This was far worse, let me assure you. I would have rather spent a whole day locked in a closet with Spike than have to do what I did yesterday."

Willow's eyes enlarged. "Wow. So, what was the mega evil thing you faced? Don't keep me in suspense."

He sighed. "My parents."

Instantly Willow understood. The Harris elders were a nightmare. She knew that as much as Xander. She must have come over a billion times, and each time she had been greeted with the sound of screaming. After moving out of the basement, Xander hoped that he would never have to see Mrs. and Mr. Harris again. 

"So, I take it that didn't go well."

"It was strange. I expected yelling and a big lecture. Instead I was greeted by two strangers. Sure, my mother was disappointed that I eloped, but she respected my decision. They even congratulated us on our future and children. I found out they are going to marital counseling. Dad is also a member of AA."

Willow blinked in surprise. "I don't see the badness here."

"That's just it. There wasn't any. It was unnerving. Like my whole world had been shifted upside down."

"And you would have rather been in a battle? Or spent a day with Spike?" She laughed at how absurd it sounded. 

Xander nodded. "At least I know what to expect in both cases."

"Xan," Willow said, putting her hand on his. "I'm gonna have to shift that world of yours a little off kilter again."

"Huh? What?" He groaned. 

"Well, ya know Alexis?"

"Of course. How could I forget future-girl?"

"Well, you missed out on a lot yesterday. Let me fill you in."

***********************

White. That was the only thing Spike saw. It surrounded him in all directions, closing him in. It bathed him, physically warming him, and yet leaving him mentally cold. He knew what this meant and he didn't want it. Not now. Please, not now. Not when Buffy needed him. Not when Alexis was growing inside her. Not when evil was after them both. 

"Hello, William," a voice said. It was sweet and airy. It sounded feminine, but he wasn't quite sure. Hell, maybe it was both. 

Spike spun around. He didn't see anyone. 

"Where are you? Whose talking?" he demanded. 

"I am all around you. I am the leader of this realm."

He suddenly felt faint. "Oh no. Bloody hell no! Don't tell me I'm speaking with God."

There was laughter. 

"What is so bloody hilarious!?"

"You think this is heaven, mortal?" the voice asked.

"I don't know what to think. I must be dead. If I wasn't I'd be back home with my slayer."

"Oh, but you are."

Spike's face scrunched into a confused expression. "Don't speak in riddles. I know that isn't true. I can't be in two places at once." He paused. "Although, my daughter seems to have managed it."

"This is an in-between world. Your mind and soul are here, while your body remains on earth. This place is neither heaven nor hell. Neither good nor bad. It simply serves as a sanctuary for those in wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait to see if they will return or move on."

"Oh, so I'm not dead then?"

"Not yet."

"Hey! So, you mean I might be soon?"

"I didn't say that either."

A frustrated growl emerged from Spike's throat. 

"Stop! Just tell me if I am going to die or not!" Spike shouted. 

Somehow Spike knew the owner of the voice was smirking. 

"You may return, William. But you can't the same way you left."

"What does that mean?" He breathed in deeply. 

"Your essence was fractured by the dark witch. It was not molded properly when you changed and was easy to break apart. We must repair it."

"Oh, great. How long will that take?"

"Not long," the entity replied. 

Spike nodded. "Right then. Do it and send me on my merry way."

"Are you not curious as to what mending your essence entails?"

"Not much as long as it gets me back to my slayer."

"Very well. I think I'll tell you anyway."

Spike shook his head. Figures. 

The voice continued, explaining the process. "We must bind your demon to the soul of William."

"Demon? I thought I lost that."

"No. The change made you human but did not destroy the demon. It simply let William into the driver's seat. We have to get the demon behind the wheel as well to make you stable."

"Makes perfect sense now," Spike remarked with sarcasm. "Just do the bloody thing already."

"As you wish."

_________________________________________________________

What do you think? Like the idea?


	26. The Sun

Chapter Twenty-Six- The Sun

Spike's eyes shot open. He abruptly bolted upright, sucking in air. Buffy, who had her head lying on his chest, also jerked upright. The man looked around, taking in the closed blinds in a panic. Then his gaze met hers. 

His blue eyes were filled with fright. He shivered.

The slayer wrapped her arms around him, holding him to her. "Spike," she whispered. "I thought you might never wake up."

"It's so cold," he said, shakily. "So cold."

Buffy smoothed down his hair. She shushed him. 

He violently shook his head. He pushed her away with unnatural force. It took her by surprise. She fell off the bed, but got to her feet without landing on the floor. 

"Stay away!" Spike hissed. "You shouldn't have to touch me."

"Spike, what is wrong with you?"

The lost look in his eyes had been replaced by wildness. 

"I'm a monster."

Buffy blinked. "I don't understand."

"I'm a vampire again," he told her. "They made me a vampire again." 

Neither of them moved for what seemed like an eternity. Buffy stared at him hard. Finally she moved, going over to the window. She took the blind rod and let in streaming light from outside. She turned back to him, seeing that he had turned his head away. 

"What is this?" she demanded. "You aren't a vampire, Spike. I can sense vampires and you certainly aren't one."

He wouldn't look at her. She sighed. She went to sit back down beside him. She took his hand and brought it to his chest. 

"Your heart is beating."

Manic laughter spilled out of him. 

"Stop it!" She wanted to slap him, but restrained herself. 

His laughter quickly turned to tears. He crushed her to him. 

"I thought. . ."

"But why?" she questioned. 

"I'm so cold," he said.

She touched his forehead. A small smile played at her lips. "You have a fever. Probably the aftereffects of the power drain. You feel cold, but you are really burning up." She began to get up. "I'm going to bring you some medicine."

Spike grabbed her wrist. "Wait!"

Buffy stopped. 

"Things are different. Why are they different? If I'm not a . . ."

She frowned. "What is different?"

"I can hear, Buffy. I can hear your heart. I can also hear Alexis's heart. It's thumping so fast. Babies do that right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Babies do that."

"When I pushed you off the bed . . ." He swallowed. "I'm strong, luv. Didn't you feel it?"

"I felt it."

***********************

Buffy ran downstairs to get the Ibuprofen. She was met by a myriad of questions by the group. 

"He's awake," she announced. 

Dawn pointed to the bottle of medicine her sister held. "Is that for him?"

"Yeah. He's got a slight temperature."

"But he's okay?"

Nodding, the slayer said, "Yeah. He'll be fine."

She couldn't explain why he had super hearing or strength, but he seemed all right. 

Alexis got up from her seat. "Can I see him?"

Buffy opened the bottle of Ibuprofen. She tipped it so that two tablets spilled out. She dropped them into Alexis's palm. 

"Get some water and take it up to him."

Alexis eagerly complied. She got a glass down and filled it with tap water. Then she hurried up to the second floor.

*************************

Alexis briefly paused before entering the room. It was illuminated by brilliant light that streamed in from outside. She couldn't quite recall a day as bright as this one. 

Her father sat propped up by a pillow, his gaze intently focused on the window. She hesitated, unsure of herself. 

"Sp-Spike, Buffy asked me to give you these," she stammered. 

He slowly turned his head. He took in the offered medication and water. He seemed to ponder a moment before accepting them. 

"How are you feeling?"

Shrugging, Spike replied, "Not sure. Don't know if what's happened to me is a good thing, or bad thing."

She answered quickly without thinking. "It's good."

He cocked his head to the side, an eyebrow raised. "That so? Do tell."

"Well, uh . . . I know what they did to you. Mom and Dad told me about it."

"Enlighten me then, pet, cuz I'm kinda fuzzy here."

"You were unbalanced. Celeste shattered your essence, but even before that you were unstable. The powers, or whoever, made it so that your demon and human self have equal dominion. So now you are kinda like a slayer. Ya know, extra strength and healing. Pretty cool, huh?" Her voice didn't sound like it was pretty cool. 

"It isn't like bein a slayer at all," he said. "I can feel it in me. The demon." He scrunched up his face in confusion. "But it isn't like before. It isn't screaming inside me to let it out. It isn't begging for a good kill."

Alexis forced a smile. "That is because you are balanced. Hello, have you been listening?"

Spike couldn't help but crack a smile. He let out a laugh. This caused Alexis's smile to turn into a genuine one. 

"I guess it is a good thing," the ex-vamp remarked. 

"Duh." 

"I'm just not used to this oneness is all. My body is at peace, but my mind still needs some work."

There was a span of silence. Alexis was the one to break it. 

"I'm glad you're okay. Do you need anything else? Food? Hot chocolate? I think we have some little marshmallows."

"That'd be splendid."

She nodded. "Be right back, Spike."

She was about to leave, but he halted her with a shout. 

"Wait!"

Alexis spun back around. "Huh? What?"

"Come here," he ordered. 

The girl felt like she was eight again and was being scolded. She stepped over to the side of the bed. 

"Don't call me that," he told her. 

She blinked, perplexed. What had she called him? Oh. 

Alexis fell into his arms. 

At first she had to force herself to call her parents by their first names. She was proud of herself for not slipping up. She had been doing it for so long now that it seemed natural. Reverting back to their rightful titles was difficult. 

"I won't again, Dad." she promised.

He pulled back to look at her. The light swam around her and he was overwhelmed by her beauty. Her mother and her were as radiant as the sun itself. 

"I know, Sunshine."

"Sunshine?" Her eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah. You and your mum are my rays of sunshine."

Alexis stood up.

"What is it?" Spike questioned, slightly worried. 

"Nothing. I just figured something out."

***************************

Giles was overwhelmed the second he walked in the door. He was surrounded by young people, all concerned for his welfare. Then he had to be filled in on Spike's condition. After that was somewhat straightened out, Alexis came storming in. She grabbed his good arm and pulled him aside. 

"Grandpa Giles, I figured something out," the teen announced. 

"Grandpa . . .? Dear lord," he muttered. 

Giles wished he could clean his glasses, but it was much too difficult of feat with one hand.

Alexis rambled on. "Spike and Buffy were supposed to find out about me. You, in the future, knew this because you remember it happening. But you also remember me telling you to keep it a secret at first. So, in order to keep the timeline the same you told me to not tell anyone about the future. It's like a big circle. A future event causes a past event." She contemplated this. "Or a past event causes a future event. Anyway. . . Am I making any sense?"

"Strangely, yes. Buffy and Spike weren't supposed to find out until it was time. I told you to keep things secret because that is what would keep the discovery from happening sooner; which might have caused a shift in history. Remarkable. How did you find this out?"

"Dad calls me Sunshine in the future. He never told me how or when he came up with the name. I just found out."

"Are you saying that Spike called you Sunshine today?" Giles asked. 

"Yep. Upstairs. He thought up the name back here in 2001."

"This is quite fascinating."

"Yes, and quite confusing."

________________________________________________________

I hope that made sense. *bites lip* At least a little. 


	27. Something Red

Chapter Twenty-Seven- Something Red

Buffy took a long, refreshing shower. The hot water seemed to wash away all the anxiety she had been harboring for the past two days. Now that everything had settled down she could let herself relax. She took the soap and lathered her body. It was so soothing that she let out a moan. 

She leaned against the wall and let the spray hit her full force. Her hands roamed to her middle, lingering there. 

"It's all right, Alexi. Everything is all right now," she whispered.

She almost expected her daughter to answer with a kick, but nothing happened. She was a little disappointed. The subtle fluttering yesterday had been the first sign of movement baby Alexis had given to the outside world. 

When the water began to grow cold, Buffy reluctantly got out. She wrapped a white towel around her. It barely fit anymore. She frowned. It was about time to go shopping. She needed maternity clothes and larger towels. 

She crept out of the bathroom and down the hall to her room. She opened the door and stepped inside. The only light came from the small bedside lamp. Spike lay under the covers, his eyes closed. He stirred, sensing her presence. 

"Nice shower?" he inquired. 

A smile formed on her lips. "Yep. Very revitalizing. I feel . . . energized. I could stay awake all night and do . . . things." Her smile turned into a smirk. 

He sat up at that. 

She slowly moved toward the bed. Her gaze scanned over his form. "Are you naked under there?"

He offered her a smirk identical to her own. "Might be. Why don't you come find out?"

She went to him, hovering. Her hand slipped under the sheets. It groped, finding its target. She gave it a squeeze. 

"Baby wants to play, does she? You're a very bad girl, ya know slayer."

"When I want to be."

Spike grabbed her. He swung her on the bed, making her squeal. He tugged the towel away. Exposed, her green eyes sparkling up at him.

Warm hands slid over her still wet skin. "Luscious." He kissed her bulging belly. 

"Don't tease," Buffy said. "I'm fat and you know it."

"Nonsense. I love you like this," he replied. 

"Like a beached whale?"

"Like the beautiful mother of my child you are. The bringer of life."

There was nothing she could think of to say to that. He saw her as some sort of life-giving goddess.

Spike took hold of her hips and spread them apart. He must have liked what he saw, for a look of triumph spread over his face. He bent down, his tongue delving into her. She let out a gasp, clutching the sheets. 

"Oh God," she breathed.

She squirmed in perfect torture. Finally she lost control. 

"Enjoy that, baby?" Spike asked. 

Buffy couldn't possibly tell him how much. So she simply nodded instead. 

Spike shifted his attention to her breasts. They were fuller now and very delectable. 

Buffy could have lost all thought. She was tempted to let him ravage her, falling into oblivion. But this wasn't supposed to be about her. She had decided that that night was for him. This was the night they would make love. 

When Buffy halted his ministrations, Spike was confused. She stared up at him with a look he had never seen before. He furrowed his brow, trying to figure it out. 

Buffy reached up and stroked the side of his cheek. 

The slayer took charge. She traded positions with him, dominating the top. She explored his body, paying attention to every inch. She had always thought of him as remarkably good-looking. Yet she had never taken him all in. He wasn't just good-looking- He was a god. 

Buffy kissed his chest. She breathed him in. He smelled good. Not from cologne. No, Spike had his own scent. A scent all his own. 

Meanwhile, Spike lay there, not daring to move. He couldn't understand what was going on. Buffy had never acted this way before. She usually let him do most of the work. She had always hurried the business along too. Well, not so much the last couple months. Not since she had decided to try and love him. Still, this was different. She was extra attentive. 

Spike studied his slayer with curiosity.

After absorbing the entire plane of him, Buffy lifted. Her golden locks spilled over her shoulder. Spike couldn't help but comb his fingers through.

She fit between his legs, preparing herself. She slipped inside. She took her time, putting them in delicious agony. He filled her passage, going in deeper and deeper, until they were completely joined. 

Buffy gyrated. In . . . out. In . . . out. Over and over. They rocked together in unison. Their breathing quickened. The world fell away, everything becoming a haze. There was only them. 

In . . . out. In . . . out. In out. In out. IN OUT. IN OUT. 

Their bodies merged together faster. Slamming together. It hurt. They ached with pleasure. Moans, cries, and groans escaped their throats. 

Buffy could feel herself come to the edge. She was about to plummet. Her mind didn't want to work. But as she came crashing down she was able to mutter a coherent sentence. 

"I love you."

It was perfect timing. It made Spike lose control as well. 

Clinging together, sweaty and sated, Spike met her eyes. He couldn't believe it. That look. He knew now what that look meant. Love. It was love. For him. 

"Let's stay like this forever," Spike said. 

"I wouldn't mind, but can I say ewww. I just took a shower and am in definite need of another one."

"Just a wishful thought is all."

She smiled. 

"So, did you mean it?"

"You don't believe me? I love you, Spike. I really do."

He cupped her face. "I believe you, luv. Wanted to hear you say it again."

"I love you. I love you. I love you," she muttered repeatedly. 

Spike silenced her with his mouth. Eventually he pulled away.

"So, you need a shower again." He waggled an eyebrow at her. "Need some company this time round?"

"That might be arranged," she answered. 

A yawn hit her. "Or. . . Maybe in the morning."

"Sleep, pet. The baby's asleep. Don't want to wake her with the jostling. Besides, ya need your rest too." 

Buffy snuggled against him. "Mmmm, I love you."

"Never get tired of hearing it," Spike told her. 

"Good. Then I won't stop saying it."

The room was quiet for a few moments. Buffy was beginning to drift off when Spike spoke. 

"Marry me."

Buffy's eyes shot open. 

"What!?"

He lifted himself on an elbow. 

"Marry me," he reiterated. 

"You can't be serious."

"Why not?" 

He was completely serious. She could read it from his voice and his expression. He really wanted to marry her. 

"I . . ." Buffy began. She couldn't finish because she didn't know what she had been about to say. 

"Why shouldn't we? I've been wanting to be your husband since the first moment I learned you were pregnant. Maybe it's the Victorian William in me. Hell, even before that I would have tied the knot if I thought I had a chance. I'm human now, or at least mostly. You said that you loved me back. Everything that stood in our way is gone. So, Buffy Summers, I ask again. . . Marry me?"

"Oh my God!"

Buffy bolted up into a sitting position. 

"Oh my God," she said again, this time softer. 

Spike nodded his head. "It's okay. Take your time answering. No rush." 

The abrupt movement must have awoken the baby. Buffy felt a foot hit her inner wall. 

"Oh my God," Buffy burst out again, but this time for a totally different reason. 

She grabbed Spike's hand and brought it to her stomach. Baby Alexis continued to kick, rippling her skin. 

Spike froze, gaping at Buffy's hand holding his in place over where their child dwelled. At first he couldn't comprehend it all. And then the miracle of life hit Spike hard. Tears built up in his blue eyes. Spike, aka William the Bloody, cried from awe. 

Buffy watched the whole display with an expanded heart. Spike looked like a child. He seemed innocent and anew. 

A feeling rose up inside Buffy. It was one she couldn't detect. It fore passed that of love. It went even deeper than that. 

This was her family. Spike, the baby, and her. They were all connected. One. 

"Yes," Buffy whispered. 

Spike blinked, coming out of his daze. "What's that?"

"Yes," Buffy said louder. She felt tears sting her own eyes. "Yes, I'll marry you."

____________________________________________________

Can't call me the Angst Queen anymore. : )


	28. Tender Loving

AN- I never meant for this to be so long. And it isn't even action stuff. It is mostly talking. I don't know how it turned out to be so long. 

Chapter Twenty-Eight- Tender Loving

A few days went by. Alexis couldn't believe the change she witnessed. Her parents had gone through a complete turnaround. They laughed together and couldn't stop touching. It was actually pretty cute. They were in love and the whole world could see. 

Tara and Willow were looking pretty cozy too. The blond witch came around more often. The two would sneak off to be alone. Alexis could only guess what for. 

Alexis leaned against the island, watching Buffy and Spike. They were currently squabbling over dinner. She smiled at the scene. She was used to it back home. 

"You heat the sauce last," Spike said. "The spaghetti and garlic bread take longer."

"Oh, and you know so much about cooking? You've been a vampire for over a century," Buffy threw back. 

"I used to help out in the kitchen when I was a boy."

Buffy's lips twitched and then became a full grin. 

"What?"

She shrugged. "Just thinking of little Spike helping with supper. I bet you were adorable." 

"My mum thought so," he replied. He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I've seen pics of you, luv. You were a cutie."

"Pictures? When? Where?"

"Dawn showed me."

"Oh."

Spike ran a finger along the side of her neck. She tilted her head, savoring the sensitive sensation. 

"Nothin's changed. You are still a cutie," he whispered. 

"Belly and all?"

His hand roamed to her middle and then to her hip. 

"Every inch."

The heat grew in the room. Spike captured his slayer's mouth. They hungrily explored each other with their tongues. 

Alexis cleared her throat. 

The two instantly split apart. They sheepishly looked over at their future daughter. They had totally forgotten that Alexis was standing there. 

"You might want to stir the spaghetti," Alexis advised. 

"Right," Spike said. 

"Yeah," Buffy confirmed. She grabbed the wooden spoon and stuck it into the pan. 

Dinner was pretty much uneventful. They had invited Xander and Anya over. Which meant that they had to deal with the ex-demon's quirky remarks. She had gone off about how sex was different when you were pregnant. She said that it was more intense. Her husband had tried with little success to shift the conversation away from such things. 

Spike offered to clear the table. He pecked Buffy on the cheek and told her to go relax. She went into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Her hand rested on her abdomen, which had become a habit as of late. 

Alexis crept into the room just as Buffy grabbed for the remote control. 

"What ya gonna watch?"

Buffy shrugged. "Dunno yet. Maybe there's a movie on."

The slayer flipped through the channels until she saw something she liked. It was a romance, displaying a man and woman in a lip-lock. 

"That's so beautiful," Buffy whispered. 

Her eyes were glistening and Alexis almost thought she might shed a tear. She'd never seen her mother like this. She wasn't the type to get emotional over some sappy love scene. Must be the hormones, she thought. 

They watched the movie to the end. It was your basic unbelievable happily ever scenario, but Buffy ate it up like chocolate. 

"Oh wow!" Buffy exclaimed all of a sudden. 

"What is it?" Alexis asked. 

"She's kicking. Hard," Buffy told her. She made a face of discomfort. "In the ribs."

Alexis stared at the spot where Buffy's hand lay in alarm. Buffy rolled her eyes and took Alexis's own hand. She placed it over her stomach. 

"Oh my God!" Alexis burst out. 

The vibrations under her palm were powerful. She could understand Buffy's irritation. 

"This is giving me the wiggins," Alexis stated, removing her hand. 

Buffy didn't get it at first. "I guess it is kinda weird. Having a living thing inside . . . Oh." Then she got it. 

A laugh came from Buffy. "Our lives are really screwed up, huh?"

"Tell me about it. I'm here, but I'm also there." 

"Yep, wiggy," Buffy agreed. 

"Totally."

They both smiled. 

"But it is kinda cool too." Alexis moved to replace her hand on her mother's belly. "Dad always said I was a natural at kicking. Must be cause I practiced my moves even before birth."

************************

Buffy took a deep breath. She stared at the door before her, a little scared to knock. She had decided that day to go see Xander. He deserved to know about Spike and her future together first. She owed him that. It was only right since he was the last to know about her pregnancy. He had accepted that with reluctance. How would he react to her being linked to Spike for the rest of her life?

Images of Xander roaring with fury filtered into her mind. She took a step back, not quite sure she was ready for this. Before she could bolt, however, the door flew open. 

"Buff?" 

Xander stood before her. He greeted her with a huge grin. 

"Were you going out?" Buffy asked. 

"Just to get the mail. I can get it later. Come in." He cracked the door wider for her to enter. 

Buffy took in the place. It was normally clean, but never this clean. Everything was perfectly in place. 

"Squeaky clean," Buffy commented. 

Xander chuckled. "Oh yeah, An's on this cleaning spree."

"I know the feeling. I don't know how she managed to get things this tidy, though. Every time I straighten something somebody messes it right back up. It's an ever ending battle. One I can't win."

Xander went to grab a beer out of the fridge. "I'd offer you one, but . . ." He gestured to her bulging middle. 

"Thanks, but even if I wasn't like this I'd decline. Alcohol and Buffy equal badness."

The two friends settled on the couch. Xander twisted the cap of his bottle before taking a long swallow. 

"So, what brought you by?" Xander asked. "Any reason or just to hang?" 

Buffy wanted to tell him right then, but she chickened out. 

"Just wanted to see you. How is my Xander?"

"I've been good. Anya and I are moving."

Her eyes enlarged. "Moving? Where? Better not be Mexico or someplace far away. I think I might miss you."

"Don't worry," he assured her. "No Mexico, mi amigo. It's only four miles from here."

"When did you decide this?"

"Three days ago. We can't raise a child in this place. Anya insists on a yard and I agree. A kid has gotta have room to play." He smiled. "And a dog. We want a dog."

"I'm so happy for you. Things sound like they are going well."

"They are," Xander replied. He leaned toward her. "So, are things going well with you too? How are you and dead boy working out?"

Buffy shifted. Now, she thought. I have to tell him now. 

"Good." 

Coward, Buffy silently scolded herself. Continue. But she didn't. 

"Oh, so you aren't on the verge of kicking him out then? Bummer. I was hoping." His tone was teasing. 

"Sorry to disappoint. He's been on good behavior. Except he keeps leaving the toilet seat lid up. Ugh, that is so annoying!"

"Give me an estimate, Buffy. What is the probability of you breaking up?" 

"Zero," she answered truthfully. She breathed in deeply. "I love him."

Silence. 

She forced herself on. "And we're getting married."

Xander choked on his beer. He had a massive coughing fit. It took him over a minute to calm himself. 

"Married? As in husband and wife? As in Mrs. William the Bloody?"

"Yes, husband and wife. And it's Mrs. Shayne."

Xander shook his head. "You're serious about this?" 

"Yeah. I am. I really am. I wanted you to be the first one to know."

There was a pause. 

"Congratulations," Xander finally said. 

Buffy blinked, not sure she heard him right. "Huh?" 

"Congratulations," he repeated. 

"That's it?" That couldn't be it. How could he be so calm?

"I knew it was coming, Buffy. I mean, come on, Alexis talked about her parents. Which are you guys. I kinda knew you'd probably get hitched. I like to be denial guy, though."

"So you're okay with this?" 

"I don't like it," he admitted. "But I won't stop you. I'll stand by you, even if I hate it."

"Thanks." She gave him a hug. "Aw, I love you."

"I love you too, Buff."

They parted. 

"Normally I don't commend divorce, but I'm all for it in this case. If he does one thing to hurt you. . . "

Buffy nudged him playfully. 

At that moment Anya walked in. She carried two plastic bags, which she set down on the kitchen table. 

"There was this huge sale," she announced. "Lots of bargains. I got tons of things for my money." She said this with more pride than was normal. 

Anya noticed Buffy. "Oh hello, Buffy. You should check it out. It's at that shop by the bookstore. They don't have any baby things, but I got some pretty stuff for our new home. Did Xander tell you about our new home?" 

"Yeah, he did."

"I'm so excited. It's two stories and . . . " Anya snatched the Heineken cap off the coffee table. "Xander Harris, I told you not to leave trash lying around."

"I was gonna throw it away," Xander told her. "I just hadn't gotten around to it."

"Do it first thing," Anya instructed. "Otherwise you might forget. We have to learn good habits to teach our son."

"It's a boy?" Buffy inquired. This was new news for her.

"Oh, yeah. It's a strapping young man."

"What?" Anya complained. "It isn't a man, it's a baby. And he certainly isn't 'strapping' yet."

"He will be," Xander assured his wife. 

Anya sat down in the recliner, putting her feet up. She let out a contented sigh. 

"Buffy, why are you here?" she frankly questioned. 

"Oh, I came over to visit."

"And tell us that she's getting married," Xander added. 

"Married? How sweet. To who?" Anya said. 

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Spike, duh." 

"Well, you can't always assume. I hope your wedding is beautiful and doesn't get messed up."

"Errr. . . Thanks." 

"Keep it small. Or elope," advised the ex-demon. 

"Thanks, Anya. I'll think about my options." 

*********************

The next day Buffy and Willow had plans to go baby shopping. The witch didn't show up that morning, though. 

Buffy sat down at the table, a plate of Eggo waffles in front of her. Dawn sat across from her. Willow usually made breakfast. She was the only one in the house who could really cook. Well, except Spike. He could make a decent meal, but didn't have a lot of initiative to do so. 

"Any idea as to where she is?" Buffy asked. 

A bright smile formed on her sister's face. "I think she mentioned going out with Tara."

"And she never came home?"

"Nope. Isn't it cool? Them being back together?"

Buffy nodded. "I'm glad."

"And you and Spike. I'm seeing some warm fuzzies that weren't there a few days ago," Dawn said. 

A dreamy expression came over the slayer. "Definite fuzzies. Of the all over kind." 

"Awww. All this love in the air makes me want to have some of my own."

"Not yet. You are too young for a serious relationship."

"What!? You were dating Angel at my age. Heck, you slept with Angel at my age."

"And it ended badly. 'Badly'. As in I almost died badly. Sex is evil."

"Oh yeah?" Dawn said dubiously. "So what were you and Spike doing last night? Having a contest to see who could moan the loudest?" 

Crimson spread across Buffy's face. "It is when you don't know the person."

"You didn't know Angel?"

"Well, I didn't know he had a tendency to convert into a psychopathic killer."

"Gotcha. I can still date, right?"

"But no falling in love," Buffy ordered. 

Dawn saluted her. "Aye aye, captain." 

Just then Willow stepped into the dining room. She was practically glowing. 

"Hey guys." 

"Willow, where've you been?" Buffy asked. 

"As if we have to ask," Dawn said. "You were at Tara's right? All night?"

Willow's grin grew even larger. "Is it that obvious?" 

Both girls spoke simultaneously. "Yes!"

"All right. All right. Yes. I was at Tara's. All night."

"That's great, Will," Buffy told her best friend. 

"I know."

"So, are you still wanting to go out?"

Willow's green eyes widened. "Shopping! Oh, I forgot. Yeah, I'm ready to spend some green stuff."

************************

They went to a store called Babies Unlimited. It had a lot of cute stuff for infants to three-year old toddlers. There was also a section for expectant mothers. That was where Buffy headed first, set on getting some new maternity clothes. 

"Oh, Buffy, you have to get this!" Willow exclaimed. 

Buffy looked over to see an excited red-head. Her friend was holding up a frilly pink dress. 

Buffy looked doubtful. "That isn't a newborn's dress."

"Um, no. It's for twelve months. But it is so cute. You have to get it! NO, I have to buy it for you!"

Buffy reluctantly gave in. If Willow was willing to buy things for her daughter then why not? It would have been fine if that was 'all' Willow wanted to buy. It wasn't. Willow kept finding more things she wanted to get for baby Alexis. When Willow put an eighth thing in the cart Buffy had to stop her. 

Holding out a hand, Buffy said in a commanding voice, "Stop right there!"

Willow halted. 

"I know you are really getting into this. I can see how much you are enjoying yourself. But stop."

"Why?" Willow looked disappointed. She reluctantly put the stuffed lamb back on the shelf.

"I appreciate the offer, Wills, but you can't empty your wallet for my kid. You are going overboard. You are more into this than I am. And I'm the mother," Buffy pointed out. 

Willow nodded. She sighed. "I know." Her eyes lost their sparkle and became pained. 

Buffy bit her lip. She didn't understand what was up. 

"What is it?"

Willow raised her head. Tears were threatening to fall. "I am just kinda envious. I mean, you are going to have a baby."

Surprise filled Buffy. "You want a baby?" 

"Yeah," Willow admitted. "I know it isn't possible, but. . . I want a little person to dress up and tell stories to. I'm a little jealous. I know it is wrong, but I can't help it. You're going to be a mommy and I am never going to be. So, can't you let me be Aunt Willow, who spoils my niece rotten? Please. It isn't what I want, but at least it is something." 

Buffy put an arm around Willow. 

"Oh, Will." She felt so much empathy right then. Poor Willow. 

Willow sniffed. 

"There are options. What about artificial insemination?" Buffy suggested. 

"I don't know," Willow said, unsure. "I don't know how Tara would feel about that. And it is kinda ewww. I mean, some weird guy's sperm inside you. Makes me want to shiver at the thought."

Buffy had to agree. 

"Adoption?" 

Willow gave a small smile. "I might consider that." She let out a dramatic sigh. "But not today. Tara and I are just getting back together. We aren't ready to think about stuff like that yet."

Buffy smiled. 

"I'm still envious, though," Willow added. 

Buffy shook her head. "The lamb. But 'that' is it."

Willow grinned and placed the lamb in the cart.

___________________________________________________________

Wow, that was the longest chapter. : ) Hope you liked. I know nothing majorally exciting happened, but still . . . 

I have a favor to ask of you. Anyone who likes vampire romances other than Buffy, could you please check out my original novel? It is called False Notions (part of my Eclipse series) and is about a vampire hunter. I really would like to know what you think. FF.net is being gay and won't let me post the URL. Go to fiction press.com and search for False Notions or go to my website (address can be seen on the bio page)


	29. Fatal Premonitions

Chapter Twenty-Nine- Fatal Premonitions

Susan Dobson had a bad feeling all morning. She was sure something bad was going to happen. She wouldn't leave her seven-month-old daughter's side for even a second. She begged her husband, Rick, to stay home that day from work. He told her she was being silly and went anyway. 

Rick called during his break to check on his family. His wife told him that nothing had happened, but that her dire inkling wouldn't go away. He reassured her that everything was fine and that he would be home in a few hours. 

The remaining time at Lake City Bank went smoothly for Rick. He opened a couple new accounts and signed up someone for a debit card. He headed home in good spirits, confident that everything would be fine when he returned to his wife and child. 

He whistled a tune as he walked up the driveway. He opened the door and stepped inside the house. He stopped dead in his tracks. 

There on the usually pristine white carpet, was red. Not the red from Kool Aid. This was a trail of blood. It led into the kitchen. 

Rick's heart seemed to jump from his chest. He rushed into the kitchen. 

What he found made his eyes widen in horror. Susan was crumpled on the tile, unmoving. The phone was off the hook, fallen to the floor next to her. 

Rick went to her side and turned her over. The side of her neck was torn open. Blood trickled from the wound. She must have crawled her bleeding body from the living room. He took a hand and checked for a pulse. To his relief he found one. It was faint, but it was there. Thank God. 

He grabbed a rag and placed it to the injury. He pressed at it with pressure, praying that it would stop the flow. He reached for the phone to call an ambulance. 

A hand clamped around his arm. It startled him and he dropped the receiver. 

Rick looked over toward Susan. Her eyes were wide open. 

"Susie!" he exclaimed. 

"Q-Quiet," she begged him softly. 

He stroked her cheek. His brown eyes threatened to spill over with tears. "God, Suse, I was so worried. You're going to be fine. Just let me call for help." He moved to grab the phone again, but his wife stopped him. 

Susan shook her head. "No, you can't!"

"Why?"

"They've got her," she rasped. 

"Who? Who has who?"

"Our daughter," Susan informed. "They're downstairs. They think I'm dead. They can't know you are here. Go, leave. Go get help."

"That's what I'm trying to do. The ambulance and the police. . . "

"Can't know. This is . . . They're . . . Monsters."

Incredulous, Rick said, "Monsters?"

"He bit me. He had fangs. And the other one. . . Nothing I've ever seen. Monsters."

Rick smiled down on her. "You're hurt. People hallucinate when. . ." 

"No!" Coughs took her over. 

"Susan?" Rick was scared again. He needed to get help. Fast. 

Susan's grip tightened. "There isn't much time. You must stop them. They said something about tomorrow night. They want to do something called The Ritual of Bound Destruction. And the slayer. Find her. She is important. The one whose face changed. . . " She winced in pain. "H-he mentioned her. She's special. She is the only one who can hel . . ."

"Susan!?"

Susan gasped for air. Her body began to convulse. 

"Susie!" His voice was desperate. 

"Find. . ." 

Susan went still. Everything was still. The only sound that hit Rick's ears was the dial tone of the fallen phone. He clutched his dead wife to his chest and closed his eyes in agony. 

All of a sudden there was a jarring cry from below. Rick shot straight up. A baby. The bastards Susan had told him about were in the basement with his daughter.

Rick made his way to the basement door. His fingers curled over the knob, about to turn. He froze. Monsters. Susan's words echoed in his mind. They're monsters. Find her. She is the only one who can help. 

Rick fled the house in search of the slayer. 

**************************

Buffy was behind glass. The clear wall separated her from a basement. She watched the scene before her with hopeless desperation. 

A demon was hovering over a baby. The child was lying on a table, naked and cold. A vampire was nearby, chanting ancient words. 

The baby wasn't hers. It had piercing emerald eyes that stared right at her. They were pleading with her for aid. Not her baby, but important just the same. She wanted to help. She needed to help. 

Buffy pounded on the glass. She had slayer strength but she still couldn't break it. Tears streamed down her cheeks. I'm sorry, she thought. I'm so sorry. 

The baby cried in pain as the vampire's chanting intensified. From faraway Buffy could hear another infant cry out. Then it turned into a scream of a much older individual. Female and familiar. 

"Alexis!?" Buffy called.

************************

Buffy shot up in bed. She was sweaty and her heart raced a mile and minute. Strong arms encircled her shoulders. 

"Bad dream, ducks?" 

Those English accented words were rich and soothing. They almost comforted her. Almost. 

"Yeah, bad dream." She took in a deep breath. "That's all."

She hoped so. 

_________________________________________________

Short. Sorry, but that seemed like a good place to stop. 


	30. Searching

Chapter Thirty- Searching

Rick had no idea where to start. He had a title, not a name. What was he supposed to do? Go around with a megaphone, paging the town for the slayer? It was ridiculous. But what choice did he have?

So he asked around. He went around and asked practically everyone he saw. And everyone thought he was crazy. He began to wonder if they were right. 

He came across a bar called Willy's. He hesitated, not sure about going in. The place gave off an ominous aura. 

Just then a person came out. Or at least he thought it was a person. They were greatly disfigured. Their skin was wrinkled and drooped. The sight made him cringe. It looked like the flesh might fall right off. 

It held a box. A tiny black head peeked out, its green eyes glowing in the night. A kitten, Rick realized. 

"Hey there," the creature greeted. 

Person, Rick corrected. It wasn't right to think of him as a creature. He was probably just a guy with a bad disorder. 

"H-Hi," Rick stammered in reply. 

"You lookin to go inside? You weren't here for poker night, were you? The game's over for tonight."

Rick shook his head. "No, I didn't come to play. I'm searching for someone actually."

"Oh yeah? Who? I might know them."

"The slayer. You know her?"

A grin displayed on the weird-looking man. "I've never met he," he said. "But my good buddy has."

Hope filled Rick. "Where is she?" 

The man shrugged. "I don't know. My buddy, Spike, would know. He talks about her all the time. Has the hots for her. I don't understand what he sees in her. Her skin is too tight for my taste. Too bad he didn't come tonight for kitten poker. He's missed the last three games."

Rick sighed. This wasn't getting him anywhere. 

"So, you have no idea where she is?"

"Sorry, no."

"Thanks for your time," Rick remarked. He turned to go. 

"Wish I could have helped you find Buffy. Spike talked about her nonstop, but he never mentioned where she lived. Good luck, though." 

Buffy? Rick stopped. He spun back around and smiled. 

"Her name is Buffy?"

"Oh, yeah."

"That helps."

"It does?" The man seemed pleased. "Good. I like to help and am sorry when I can't."

Rick left, feeling more optimistic. He had a name. He was one step closer to finding the slayer.

************************************* 

Buffy was quiet. She spent her time in deep thought, hardly talking to anyone. 

"Buffy, are you all right?" Willow asked her that afternoon. 

Buffy raised her head. "Huh?"

"Is something up?"

"No," Buffy answered too quickly. 

"Liar."

The slayer sighed in defeat. "All right. I had a dream. It kinda is lingering me with bad vibes."

Willow leaned toward her friend. "Was it a slayer dream?"

"Oh I hope not." Buffy shivered at the thought. 

"Want to tell me what it was about?"

"Not really. Maybe later."

The red-head nodded in understanding. 

"Let's talk about something else, k?" Buffy said. 

"All right. What do you want to talk about?"

"How about Tara and you? Any new sparkage there?"

A goofy grin formed on Willow's mouth. Her eyes got all dreamy. "Major spark. We've been talking about moving back in together."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Really? How come you never told me until now?"

"Because it isn't final yet. We're 'thinking' about it."

"Well, I'm happy things are working out. I'll be sad to see you go, but . . . Ya know, togetherness is always good."

"Definitely. And I'd only be across town. Plus, more room. Babies need room," Willow pointed out. 

Buffy giggled. She placed a hand on her bulging belly. "How I know it. I sometimes wonder if I'll be able to get through the front door."

"Oh, Buffy, quit!" Willow scolded. "You're beautiful."

"Or so some people tell me."

"Spike, huh? Well, he's right. You are all glowy and vibrant."

Buffy had to smile at that. The expression only proved Willow's point. 

********************************

Rick was lucky that Buffy was an unusual name. He went to the library and searched databases. He found Buffy in the Sunnydale directory. Buffy Summers, age 21. Her current residence was at Revello Drive. 

He abandoned the computer and ran out the door. 

*********************************

That night Buffy chose to relax. She lay on the bed, declaring herself a vegetable.

"You're very edible," Spike agreed. "But I would classify you more of a dessert."

Buffy smiled. "Sundae?" 

"With syrup and whipped crème. Very delectable."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that."

"Turn over, pet," Spike ordered. 

She complied, rolling over to face him. He held up a bottle of lotion. 

"Cocoa butter time," Spike said. 

"Oh, yeah. Can't have me getting stretch marks."

His warm fingers lifted her shirt. His fingers slipped behind her back and unhooked her bra. Naked and exposed, she gazed up at him with innocent eyes. 

"You take such good care of me," she murmured. 

Spike squirted the ointment onto her skin. He lathered it, running his hands up and down her stomach. 

"Always, Buffy," he told her. "I'll always take care of my girls."

"Mmmm, that feels good."

Spike had shifted his attention to massaging other parts of her. Her back, neck, and then her breasts. Buffy moaned in pleasure. 

"I want you, Spike," Buffy declared. "Do you want me?"

"I always want you."

He bent down to taste her mouth. He devoured her with his tongue. 

When he pulled back, he smirked. "Yep, a dessert from heaven."

There was a knock on the door. 

"Whoever it is, is dead," Buffy shouted in annoyance. 

"Buffy, come downstairs quick!" Dawn said frantically.

Spike sat up. "What is it, platelet?"

"There's a strange man downstairs. He demands to see the slayer," Dawn informed. 

"I'm coming. Give me a minute," Buffy said. 

She got up and started to get dressed. So much for relaxing. 

_______________________________________________

My mom told me about coco butter today. She said that it prevents stretch marks. It sparked a heated Spuffy scene to life. Well, the 'start' of one. 


	31. Ready, Set, Go

Chapter Thirty- One- Ready, Set, Go

Buffy descended the steps with Spike right behind her. They made it to the foot of the stairs where they saw a man. He stood by the door, looking worn and desperate. It seemed as if he might topple over at any second. 

He took one staggering move toward them. "Are you the slayer?" he choked. 

"That'd be me. She who likes pointy pieces of wood," Buffy said. 

The man took a good look at his supposed heroin. His eyes grew wide as he spotted her enlarged middle. "Y-You're . . ." 

"Really fat?" she commented, cupping a hand over where her daughter lay.

"Pregnant." The stranger shook his head. "This can't be right. You are supposed to help me."

"If worse comes to worse I can use my weight against me." She smiled. 

"I wouldn't underestimate her, mate," Spike advised. 

"Would you like to sit down?" Buffy asked. She led the man into the living room. She was afraid he might collapse. 

They settled down, Buffy and Spike on the couch. The man drooped in the recliner. 

"Let's start with introductions. Hi, I'm Buffy. And you are. . .?"

"Rick."

"So, how'd you know to come to me? I don't have slayer written on my forehead. At least I hope I don't. I haven't brought myself to look in the mirror lately."

Spike frowned at her with disapproval. "Stop it with the ugly pregnant jokes, pet."

Buffy laughed. "Sorry, couldn't resist. I'll stop." 

"M-My wife is dead," Rick stammered. "Somebody . . . Something raided our home. They hurt Susie and took my daughter into the basement. Just before Susie. . . died. . ." He took a deep breath. "She said that she heard them talking. They said something about a ritual. The Ritual of Bound Destruction. She also told me to find you. That you were the only one who could stop them. 

Slayer and ex-vampire exchanged looks. They knew this was serious. Any ceremony performed by a demon meant total badness. Spike knew first-hand. He had brought Drusilla back to full strength. Buffy knew because she had averted quite a few. 

"I'm calling Giles," Buffy declared. "This requires scholarly knowledge." 

"I agree, luv."

The watcher answered his phone right away. He told Buffy that he would meet them at The Magic Box. She agreed and hung up, telling everyone what the plan was. 

************************

Buffy, Spike, Dawn, Alexis, Willow, and Rick gathered around the table at the shop. Xander was yet again unreachable. Anya and he had been extremely busy lately. They had to make lots of arrangements for their move and their son's birth. 

Each person had a book. They furiously scanned every page, searching for a reference to the ritual. 

Willow looked up from her volume. She gave them a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I need a moment to rest my eyes."

Buffy nodded. "That's fine, Will." She lowered her book as well. "In fact maybe we all should take a break."

"No!" Rick protested. "Keep looking. We have to save my baby girl."

"And we will," Buffy assured the man. "But we can't do that if we can't even think straight."

"Eureka!" Giles stood up, triumphantly. 

The gang stared at Giles. He cleared his throat, the excited expression leaving his face. 

"Did you really just say that?" Buffy questioned. 

Giles took off his glasses to clean. "Yes, I'm afraid I did." He replaced his glasses and gestured to the text he held. "I found it. We should have looked here in the first place. It is the Compilation of Fallen Rituals after all."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Of course." She stepped closer. "What we got? Is it the end of the world and we're all going to die, yada yada yada?"

"The world can't end!" Dawn piped up. "Brian's going to ask me to Semi-Formal. At least . . . I'm hoping he will. But he never will if the world is gonna end."

"The world is not going to end. I'll stop it," Buffy vowed. She met Giles's eyes. "What do I have to do to stop it?" 

"Nothing," Giles simply said. 

"Huh?"

"Nothing," he repeated. "It isn't an apocalyptic ritual."

"Oh." 

"Good!" Alexis exclaimed. "That's good, right?" 

"Of course," Giles answered. "But this ritual isn't to be taken lightly."

"What are we dealing with?" Buffy asked. 

Giles studied the page he had open. "The Ritual of Bound Destruction is a ceremony performed on someone in order to kill another. The person is bound spiritually to another a distance away. Then the person is sacrificed. There's chanting involved and a few other technicalities. The result is two dead people."

Buffy crossed her arms. "So they're doing this because they can't get to the person they really want to kill?"

"It seems that way."

Fury raged in Rick's eyes. He even shook with anger. "They want to kill my daughter!" 

Willow covered her mouth, her eyes wide. "Oh, God! They're going to kill a helpless baby? That's awful."

"And wrong," Dawn added. "I wanna kick their asses until they fall apart limb-by-limb."

That was all Buffy could take. She stormed into the training room, going straight to the weapons. It was her nature to rush into things without planning. The situation also hit too close to home. She was going to be a parent herself. She was not going to let a baby die. 

The others followed her. 

"Buffy," Giles said. "I haven't finished reading everything about the ritual. You must stop this rashness and . . . "

"Suit up," Buffy ordered. "Read on the way."

She grabbed a hefty sword. She swung the blade confidently through the air. She noticed Spike about to say something beside her. 

"One word about how I can't fight in my condition and there will be hell to pay."

Spike shook his head. "Nothing of the sort. Just be careful, luv. Promise me you'll be careful." 

She gave him a quick smile. "Always." 

The tender moment ended as soon as it began. She spun around. She stood tall and determined. "Let's go!" 

____________________________________________________

Only a couple more chapters left. 


	32. Kindred

Chapter Thirty- Two- Kindred

Rick led them to his house. It was about a mile away, farther from town. 

"This is it," he confirmed. 

They entered the house. It was just as Rick had left it. He tried to keep his eyes from the blood that stained the floor, but it was hard. He sunk to his knees, freaking out. 

"Buffy," Willow called. She pointed to the fallen man. 

Buffy barely glanced at Rick. "Leave him. We don't have time to deal with this."

Chanting hit their ears. They followed the sound. Dawn and Alexis gasped when they passed the body of Susan Dobson. The girls dealt with the horror quickly and moved on. 

The chanting was coming from the basement. Buffy led the way down the steps. The display that lay before them made them stop. Judas stood by a table, with a flaying baby on the top. A demon, that Buffy deduced must be the legendary Gestalt demon, lurked to the side. 

"Slayer," Judas greeted. "We weren't expecting you."

"Shucks. And I thought my invitation got lost in the mail. I really didn't get invited?" Buffy punned. 

She was about to storm into battle, but was bounced off by an invisible barrier. She would have fallen, but Spike rushed forward. He caught her arms, steadying her. 

"A force field," muttered Giles. 

"I can get it down," Willow said. "Give me time."

"We don't have time!" Buffy sighed. "Okay, do what you can, Willow."

The Gestalt wasn't in the force field. The wall only enclosed Judas and the baby. It came at them, going for Giles first. He rammed into the man, making him drop his book. 

Buffy sprung into action. She sent a kick hurtling into the demon's chest. He staggered back. Getting into the fight, she went for another kick. This one didn't go so well. She began to lose her balance. 

Spike grabbed her. "Luv, your center of gravity is a bit messed up."

"Punches it is then." 

Meanwhile, Giles had recovered his fallen book. He had lost his place and flipped through it in frustration. 

Willow had her eyes closed, concentrating. She murmured under her breath. She was searching the force field for a weakness. So far she hadn't found one. 

The chanting grew louder. Buffy doubled over, gasping for breath. 

"What is it?" Spike demanded. 

"I . . ." Buffy winced. 

"Is it the baby?" 

"Uhhh," Buffy moaned. "My stomach hurts."

"God, Buffy . . ." 

The Gestalt saw an opening. He went for it. He knocked Buffy aside. Spike growled, releasing his anger at the demon. He moved violently, releasing an explosion of punches and kicks. 

"It's the ritual!" Alexis shouted. She leaned against the wall for support. "I know who Judas wants to kill with the ritual."

Dawn's eyes widened. "You!?" 

Alexis nodded. "Me."

*****************************

Giles finally found the passage. His eyes scanned the page in a hurry. 

"Dear lord," he whispered.

His head snapped up. "The ritual can't be stopped once it's started."

"What!?" Dawn shrieked. 

"Not without a willing death."

"Willing d-death?" 

"I'm afraid so."

"We can't . . . Buffy can't die again. Spike can't die. Willow . . . Me?" 

Giles slammed the book shut. "You will do no such thing!" 

"I'm willing," Dawn said. "I'm sixteen. I know that's young. But a baby hasn't even had the chance to live yet. I . . . I'm willing, Giles."

"And so am I."

They both shifted their attention to the stairs. Rick stood there. His eyes were red and swollen. He had an aura of strength about him, despite his ragged appearance. 

"It's my daughter there. I'm willing to save her by any means possible. That includes death."

Just then Willow let out a whoop. "I've got it down!" 

********************************

They didn't notice Alexis slipping from the basement. She pulled herself up the stairs with difficulty. She made it to the kitchen. She clung to the island for a moment. Then she opened a drawer. 

Not there. She managed to search the whole kitchen. Eventually she found what she was looking for. She grabbed it and staggered back toward the basement. 

*******************************

Spike fought hard. He wasn't losing. He also wasn't winning. The demon was strong. They were equal matches. The demon didn't seem to be getting tired. Spike, on the other hand, was. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the fire in his muscles, and kept going. 

"I've got it down!" Willow yelled in triumph. 

Good going, Red, Spike thought. 

"Get the baby!" came another shout. 

Alexis, Spike realized. 

Spike sent all his power shooting at the demon. The demon went down. Before the creature could get up again, Spike went for the table. He swooped up the baby. 

"Fools!" Judas said with a crazy laugh. "You can't stop the ritual. You can take that child away from here, but it will make no difference. It has started and will continue."

Spike thrust the baby into Dawn's arms. Then he went to Buffy and picked her up. 

"Let's get out of here," Spike suggested. 

The Gestalt had recovered. He snarled at them, prepared to strike. He never got the chance. A match from nowhere hit him. 

Everyone turned their heads to see Alexis. She held a matchbox, lighting match after match. She threw them everywhere. 

"Back up," she advised her friends and family. 

Ges let out a holler of pain. His whole arm was aflame. He thrashed about, not knowing what to do. 

"Never learned how to stop, drop, and roll, huh?" Alexis said. She tossed another match. "Good!" 

Alexis grinned and her legs gave out. Giles helped her up, an arm around her. 

"Like I said before," Spike said. "Let's get the buggering hell out of here!"

The group was in agreement. They rushed out of the house. On their way, Rick grabbed a butcher knife. 

******************************

They watched the house burn. 

Spike settled Buffy down on the sidewalk. He knelt down beside her. She wasn't in good condition. Neither was Alexis. The girl had passed out completely. 

"Pet, how ya doin?" 

Buffy's eyes glistened. "Spike?" She blindly reached for his hand. 

Spike took her hand and held on tight. 

"Watcher, how does this ritual end? I take it the demise of the practitioner doesn't do the trick?"

Giles ran a hand through his hair. "There must be a willing sacrifice. That is the only way."

"You have one!" 

Rick raised the knife he possessed. He inched it toward his throat. He hesitated. "I-I can't do it." He scanned the people around him. "Someone, do it for me? Please."

No one said a word. Spike rose. He stepped up to the man and took the knife. He understood. If Rick hadn't volunteered he would have willingly slit his throat instead. 

Heads turned away as Spike did the deed. The air was filled with the crackling of fire and the gurgling of a dying father. 

*****************************

A while later, the gang was gathered in the Summers' living room. There were solemn faces all around. 

The baby began to cry. 

"She needs to be fed," Buffy said. 

The slayer and her daughter were back to being perfectly healthy again. Rick's sacrifice had saved them both, along with his little girl. 

A bottle was rummaged up. It was one of the items Buffy had bought for when baby Alexis was born. 

"Can I do it?" Alexis offered. 

Giles handed her the bottle of milk. She took it, cradling the baby gently. The baby sucked hungrily at the liquid. 

"It's over," Dawn announced. 

Buffy nodded. "Yeah . . . It's over." 

But not without loss. 

They all looked toward the baby. The baby who had lost her parents and had no one to turn to except them now. 

Alexis gazed down at the baby. She felt some kind of strange connection with the child. Maybe it was because of the ritual that had bound them together. 

Then their eyes met. Alexis gasped in awe. The baby had emerald eyes. Beautiful green orbs that held more understanding than they should.

"Sirena," Alexis choked out. 

_________________________________________________

About 3 chapters left. 


	33. Hellos and Goodbyes

Chapter Thirty- Three- Hellos and Goodbyes

It was the end. Judas and the Gestalt were supposedly dead, burnt up in the fire. The threat against Alexis was over. It was time for her to go back where she belonged. 

The entire gang gathered at the magic shop to say their goodbyes. Tara and Willow agreed on performing the return spell together. The red-head still didn't feel comfortable doing magic on her own, but trusted herself when she was with her girlfriend. 

"We're ready," Tara announced. 

That was the Scoobies' cue to clear out. They left the main part of the store, leaving Buffy, Spike, and their daughter alone. 

There was silence. No one knew what to say. Alexis took charge and threw herself at her parents. They held her back, afraid to let go. 

"I love you guys," Alexis declared. 

She pulled back to see her mother crying. Spike didn't look far gone either. 

"Aw, don't be like this," she said. "You know I'm not really leaving."

"I know," Buffy said. "But it still feels that way."

Alexis gave them a small smile. 

"I'm so glad you came to us. Who knows how things would have turned out without you." Buffy reached for Spike's hand. Their fingers entwined together. "You're the reason things turned out the way they did."

"We owe you a lot, Sunshine. Your our salvation," Spike said. 

"I wouldn't go that far. I didn't do a whole lot actually. You both are the champions," Alexis remarked. "I guess I better get going." 

Buffy's eyes shed more water. "Oh, baby, I'm going to miss you." 

Alexis rolled her eyes. "I know I shouldn't be saying this to my mom but . . . You are an idiot. I'm right there." She pointed a finger to Buffy's stomach. 

With that, Buffy began to laugh through her tears. Spike joined her. 

"I guess I am pretty stupid, huh?"

"I'm not even going to answer that question." Alexis walked toward the training room. Without glancing back she added, "See ya around in about three and a half months." 

*****************************

"Are you sure about this?" Willow asked. Her voice was shaky and uncertain. 

The witch gazed down at the bassinet. Sirena stared up at her with her stunning green eyes and smiled. Willow could see the baby actually smile at her. She could tell that this little girl was special. 

"She needs someone. A-And I've seen you with her. I know you want to keep her." Tara came up beside her. 

"I do," Willow confessed. She turned toward her lover. "But do you? Are you ready for this big step? I mean we just got back together."

"I would have chosen to wait. But this baby needs us now not later."

"So it's okay then."

Tara's arms slid around Willow's waist. She laid her head on her shoulder. "Everything's going to be just fine. I know it."

**********************************

"I miss her," Buffy whispered. She sat up in bed, running fingers through her hair. She let out a frustrated sound. "God, I really am stupid! She was right. Stupid Buffy."

"You aren't the only one, luv," Spike informed. 

Buffy laid a spread hand over her belly. "I know she's here, but it doesn't feel the same." Her eyes stared across the room. 

Spike touched Buffy's hand. The sensation made her turn her attention back to him. 

"She's with us. We just have to wait is all."

"Waiting sucks."

"That it does."

_____________________________________________________

VERY short. But I can't go on cuz that is all I want in this chapter. But tis not to worry. I'm going on to write the next part right now. 


	34. Hey, I'm having a baby here!

Chapter Thirty- Four- Hey, I'm Having a Baby Here!

****

About three and a half months later

Buffy awoke, feeling uncomfortable. She rolled over in bed and winced. Her stomach hurt. She tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. 

The slayer craned her neck to get a glimpse of the blonde lying next her. Spike was deep in slumber, oblivious to Buffy's predicament. 

She got out of bed with some difficulty and crept out of the dark bedroom. She made her way down the hall to the bathroom. She flipped on the light switch, her eyes focusing. She stood there for a moment, leaning against the door. Ugh, she wished the ache in her belly would go away. 

Buffy went to the toilet and sat down. She peed, finding that as she did so the pain eased. 

There was a rap on the door. "Buffy? Pet? You okay?"

"Yeah, fine. I needed to use the bathroom," Buffy called. 

She flushed the toilet. Then she washed her hands and headed back to bed. Spike was waiting for her. She settled down, molding her body close to his. His strong arms held her to him. 

"Go back to sleep, luv," he instructed. 

The slayer complied. It wasn't long, however, when she woke up again. She felt the urge to use the bathroom again. Which was ridiculous. The clock said that it had only been an hour ago that she went. But when nature called, nature called. 

Buffy disentangled herself from Spike. She was almost out of the room when he spoke. 

"Again?"

"Yeah," Buffy told him. "Again."

She used the toilet again, this time emptying her bowels. As she was washing her hands a strong wave of pain swam over her. She clutched the counter until it passed. 

I'm going into labor, Buffy realized. Oh my God. She was scared and excited both at the same time. 

"Mom, I wish you were here," she whispered. 

There was no reason to worry Spike. She had read quite a few books and they all said that labor lasted hours. 

She stuck her head into the bedroom. Spike had gone back to sleep. Good. She didn't feel like resting at the moment. She went downstairs.

There was nothing good on TV. She settled for a talk show. She made fun of the guests as she watched, trying to get her mind off the inevinable. 

About an hour later she shut off the television. The pains were regular now. She stood up and began to pace the room. Every now and then she'd stop, hunching over. She tried to control her breathing like she had learned in lamaze class. It was more difficult to achieve than she anticipated. She experimented, going through a few contractions without it. She found that the breathing exercises were helping, and went back to trying them. 

Suddenly she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She froze, a deer caught in headlights. She knew this wasn't going to be good. 

"What in the hell are you doing!?" Spike demanded. 

Buffy opened her mouth. Her mind had seemed to leave her right then. 

"Uh . . ." 

It was then that her body chose to unleash another contraction. She let out a little moan. They were getting stronger. 

Spike rushed forward. He grabbed her arms. His voice was softer when he spoke. 

"Buffy, how could you not tell me?"

She took in a deep breath. "Remember that book you gave me? The one we both read? It says that there is no need to panic. I don't need to leave for the hospital until the contractions are ten to fifteen minutes apart."

"How far apart are they now?"

"I . . ."

"You don't know!?" Spike asked incredulously. 

"I kinda lost track. These last few I haven't looked at the clock," she admitted. 

Spike led her to the couch. He set her down next to him. He rubbed her back, which felt really good. 

"Well, let's start now."

After a few contractions it was confirmed that they were estimately fifteen minutes apart. 

Spike jumped up and grabbed their coats. "Come on!" 

"Spike, don't panic. There is plenty of time."

He shook his head. "No there isn't. You're in active labor."

"Fine, Fine. Let's go." She got to her feet. "Dawn. We have to call Dawn. And Xander or Giles, or somebody. We don't have a car."

Dawn had spent the night at a girlfriend's house. Some new girl at school. Jasmine? Joceline? She found the piece of paper with her name and number. Jackline. 

Spike grabbed the phone and dialed for Dawn. 

"Nibblet?"

He listened for a moment. 

"That's great, pet. I'm glad you got to see that movie. Look, bit, I think you might have to cut your slumber party short. That is, if you want to see your neice born that is."

There was a squeal heard from the reciever.

"So, I suggest you meet us . . ."

A confused expression came over Spike. "Dawn? Dawn? Are you there?"

Buffy frowned. "What is it? Did she hang up? She wouldn't have hung up."

Spike shook his head. "No." He stared at the phone. "The phone went dead."

"The phone went dead!" 

"Yeah."

"How are we going to call someone to pick us up?"

Spike turned around. "We can't." 

Spike took her arm and pulled her toward the front door. "We'll walk it."

They were almost outside when she requested for him to stop. "Wait, Spike." When he didn't she raised her voice. "Wait!"

"What? What is it?"

She held onto him, breathing hard. 

"Oh."

Buffy wimpered. 

Spike ran a hand over her hair. " S' Okay, luv."

When the contraction ended, Spike surprised her by swooping her up in his arms. He carried her out into the night. 

They made it a ways before they realized how dark it was. 

"There should be streetlights," Buffy remarked. 

"You're right." 

They went on. A little while later they came across a fallen powerline. 

"The phone 'and' electricity are out? That really sucks," Buffy said. 

"The hospital has a generator."

They went on, entering the downtown. Out of nowhere jumped four vampires. 

"Oh great," Buffy said. "Did you bring a stake? I didn't bring a stake."

"Kinda slipped my mind," Spike replied. 

"Me too what with the impending birth and all."

Spike put her down. She was relieved to find that her legs were steady. 

Spike stepped forwad to fight. Buffy watched, annoyed that she couldn't help. He dusted two by twisting their heads. She smiled, glad he still had his vampiric strength. 

One of the vampires came at her. There wasn't much choice. She couldn't just stand there. 

Buffy punched him in the nose. Then she hit the side of his face. She stepped on his foot, making him howl. She swiped her leg across, making him lose his balance. 

"I maybe having a baby here, but I'm still the slayer," she told the vamp. She held him down with her foot. 

Spike dusted the other vamp and came over. He looked down at the fallen vampire. 

"Good job."

"Thanks."

He bent down and took hold of the vampire's head. He turned it. There was a crunch and then poof, he was gone. 

Buffy let out a relieved sigh. 

A few forms ran toward them. Slayer and ex-vampire went into fighting stances. They relaxed when they saw who it was. 

Anya and Xander came near. 

"We just came from your house," Xander informed. "You weren't there."

"We tried to contact you, but the phone's out," Buffy said. 

"Power's out all over town."

"Vampires did it," Anya explained. "They're after you. Big surprise. We made one talk before we killed it. Said that tonight was the night. What did they mean by that?"

"Uhhhh." Buffy held her belly. 

"Oh no," Xander said. 

"Oh yes," Buffy said. "I'm having this baby tonight."

"We have to get her to the hospital," Spike insisted. 

"That'll be the first place they look for me. I can't go there," Buffy said. 

"Right. Right." Spike was at a loss. 

"The magic shop!" Anya exclaimed. "You can go to the shop. There are lots of protection charms to help."

"Willow and Tara! Get them," Buffy instructed. 

"I'll do it," Xander offered. 

Spike picked Buffy up. "Come on, it's time for you to have our daughter."

______________________________________________________

Actually there might be 2 more parts, and an epilogue. 


	35. Hey, I'm having a baby here! part II

This part is dedicated to the kitty Ashes, who passed away yesterday. She was my friend for nine years and I will always love her. I give her a story about birth.

Chapter Thirty- Five- Hey, I'm Having a Baby Here! Part II

Spike carried Buffy into The Magic Box. 

"You can put her down there," Anya said. She pointed to a spot on the floor. 

"I need to cover her with something," Spike answered. "Do you have a blanket?"

"I don't . . ."

"Argh, fine!" 

He put Buffy down and shed his leather duster. He helped Buffy remove the gray sweatpants she wore before draping it over her lower half. He knew that the coat meant death. He had taken it off his second slayer. But it seemed all right. Alexis's purpose was to bring things to life. She spread light wherever there was darkness. Maybe she could transform the old thing into something new. A piece of material that brought good memories along with the bad. 

"Do you mind, luv?" Spike asked Buffy. 

She glanced up at him with incomprehension. "Huh? What?"

"My coat?"

She shook her head. "No. Not really caring about anything except getting through this."

They lit a few candles. The light was dim and cast shadows over the room. Buffy was glad. She didn't think she would have liked the bright lights of the hospital. 

It wasn't long before Xander entered. Giles, Willow, and Tara followed suit. They rushed to Buffy's side. 

Willow knelt by her best-friend. She took her hand. "Wow. This is it, huh?" 

"Yeah, I guess so." 

"You ready?" 

"I don't know," Buffy confessed. 

Buffy suddenly squeezed Willow's palm as a contraction hit. 

"Um, Buffy. . ." Willow winced. "Buffy! Don't break my hand, please." 

Buffy released her hand. "Oh, sorry." 

It was then that all hell broke lose. Vampires flooded the store. 

"Oh God!" Buffy cried. "They can't do this! This can't be happening."

A vampire in game face made its way toward Buffy. "Slayer," it said. 

"Hey, I'm having a baby here! Leave me alone!" She swung her leg when he came up, knocking him aside. 

Tara held out her hands. "Aback!" 

A stream of power poured out of her outstretched palms. The vampires shied away. "Hurry, get stakes. I can't keep this up for long," she shouted.

Spike, Xander, and Giles gathered weapons. Tara let her guard down and a battle began. 

Anya ran over to a corner of the store. She took something off a shelf and then returned. In her clutch was a necklace. A crystal pendant dangled from it. She gave it to Willow. 

"Put it on her," Anya ordered. "It'll protect them."

Willow nodded. She looped the string over Buffy's neck. 

Time passed. How long nobody could be sure. The guys were busy staking vampires. It seemed like a new one showed up every time they dusted one. Buffy continued to go through labor. If a vampire came too close Willow and Tara would grab hands and chant 'elluminat¢ e', and they would explode into nothing. 

Buffy closed her eyes. She was really tired and she hadn't even started to push yet. "I can't do this," she complained.

"Oh, stop it," Anya snapped. 

"Anya, don't be mean. She's in a lot of pain," Willow pointed out. 

"The book I've read said that child birth isn't a big deal. And she's the slayer. This should be a breeze."

Buffy's eyes shot open. She glared at the other woman. "Shut up! You really don't know what you are talking about. When you go through it, you'll know."

Another contraction ripped through her body. She moaned, clutching Spike's duster. 

"Spike, this is your last and only kid! Got it!?" 

Spike was currently busy with fighting and didn't acknowledge her announcement. 

A few moments went by. The contractions were really strong, hardly giving Buffy a chance to recover. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. 

Buffy's eyes widened. She all of a sudden noticed what was next to her. 

"Fertility statues!" she shouted at the store owner, incredulous. "You put me near fertility statues!" 

"I know you don't feel that way now, but after this is all over you are gonna want another kid."

"No, I'm not! This is it!" Her eyes got dark and scary. "Get me away from these statues!" 

Willow and Tara helped Buffy move away from the fertility Gods. She was now by a shelf of candles and herbs. 

The slayer's breathing changed. There was a hesitation before exhaling. 

"I wanna push," Buffy stated. 

Tara rubbed Buffy's arm. "All right, honey. I think it's time. Don't use too much force at first, all right?"

Bring her knees up to her body, Buffy placed her hands behind them. She nodded at the blond witch. She pushed, giving a small grunt. 

Spike came into view. "How is she doing?" 

It was realized then that the vampires were gone. A layer of dust covered the floor. 

"She's doing fine," Tara assured him. 

Buffy reached for her boyfriend. "Spike, don't leave me again."

He took her hand. With his other one he smoothed down her sweaty hair. "I'm going to stay right by your side, pet."

He had spoken too soon. 

The shop's door opened and a figure stepped in. It was a vampire. Buffy could feel a warning tingle run down her spine. His face was disfigured, charred and red. She studied the vamp intently, knowing there was something about him. And then the alarms went off. She gasped. 

"Judas!" 

I have to stop, her mind cried. I can't have my daughter now. Not when he's here. She clutched her stomach. Stay inside, she begged. You can't come out yet. It was useless and she knew it. Another urge to push overcame her that she couldn't fight. 

Spike rose. Buffy wouldn't let go of his hand. 

"No! You can't leave me again! No! You promised to stay."

"I have to. You know that. I can't let him hurt you or Alexi again." He looked down at her and met her eyes. She released his hand, knowing he was right. 

"You are going to pay, slayer!" Judas said. "You and your little spawn. Look what you've done to my face?"

The burns were awful, covering his entire face and arms. Buffy knew that the fire must have gotten to him good. Vampires healed fast too. She hated to think of what the damage had looked like when it had been fresh.

Spike stepped forward. He smirked. "You'll have to get through me first."

The sounds of combat mingled with Buffy's cries. 

Buffy's eyes kept fluttering closed. 

"How can she fall asleep at a time like this?" Xander asked. "I mean, shouldn't she be wide awake? She's having a baby." 

"She's conserving energy for the last part of the birth," Anya replied. 

"Oh. Got it."

Spike rushed over. He grabbed a stone statues of an Egyptian god. He ran at Judas, lifting the statue high. He smacked the idol hard at the vampire. The object hit Judas's wounded face making him holler with agony. 

"Watch the merchandise!" Anya yelled. "You break it, you buy it, mister."

"I have to stop," Buffy whispered wearily. 

"Stop? Buff, I don't think that's possible," Xander commented. 

"Buffy, dear, are you scared? You're doing just fine," Giles added encouragingly. "It's almost over."

"I know. That's why I have to stop," Buffy informed. 

"Um, not really making sense here," Willow said. 

"I have to wait for Spike." She looked at them, pleadingly. "Help me to not push."

"It's not really a choice, Buffy," Giles said. 

Tears formed in her eyes. "I don't want to have this baby without Spike." 

He was only across the room, but it seemed as if he were miles away. 

Buffy struggled not to push.

"Don't fight it," Tara soothed. "It isn't good on the baby. You don't want to hurt her, do you?" 

The soon-to-be-mother shook her head. 

It was inventible. Buffy couldn't stop her baby's decent. She reluctantly continued to push. 

Tara lifted the leather duster and examined Buffy's progression. She could see the vulva bulging between her legs. Buffy pushed again and a dark something came into view. It disappeared when the contraction receded. 

"I think I saw the head!" Tara said in triumph. 

"No!" Buffy screamed. "Spike, get your ass over here!" 

"Just a moment, luv. Let me dust this nasty and I'll be right over," Spike answered from across the shop. 

"No! You can't."

"What!? Not comprehending here."

"You can't dust him," Buffy protested. 

"He's a baddie, Buff," Willow commented. 

"I know. But it suddenly occurred to me that. . ." She paused to push. "Uhhhh. . ." She panted. "If he isn't around in the future then Alexis would never have a reason to come back here. And . . . Uhhh. . ." 

"Don't talk, Buffy. Concentrate on pushing. " Willow said. She looked up at the rest of the gang. "I think I know what she's saying. History will change if he doesn't survive and become human. Alexis wouldn't travel through time."

"And there's no guarantee I'd have gotten with Spike," Buffy managed to get out. 

"Right then," Spike said. He kicked the vampire in the side. "What we going to do with the bugger?"

"I can send him away!" Willow offered. "Remember that spell I did for Glory? Well, I improved it. I can pinpoint where he'll end up. How does the artic sound?"

"The head's completely out!" Tara announced. 

"Spike, get over here now!!" Buffy shouted at the top of her lungs. 

Giles and Xander went over to Judas, making sure he stayed unconscious on the floor. Spike sprinted to Buffy. 

He took a peek at his daughter. "She's beautiful."

Willow gave him a raised eyebrow. In reality the baby's head was covered in fluid and a reddish color. Spike was looking through a parent's eye. 

"Come on, one more push," Tara urged on. 

Buffy clutched Spike. "One more push," she breathed. 

"You can do it, Buffy," Spike told her. 

She did. The tiny body slid out of her, making its way into the world. Tara caught the infant. It was hot, wet, and very slippery. The two witches stared at it with concern. 

Buffy noticed their expressions. She pushed herself up. "What is it? What is wrong?"

The slayer saw that her daughter wasn't moving. She was still as death. 

"NO! God, no!" 

"Give her to me!" Spike demanded. 

"Spike. . . " Willow began. 

Just then there was a draw of breath. Then there was another. The baby opened its eyes to reveal clear blue orbs. 

Buffy collapsed against Spike in relief. Tears streamed down both their faces. 

"Thank God," Tara muttered. 

Buffy had one last contraction, doing away with the placenta. Then everything was over. 

Willow gathered a pair of scissors and brought them back. She handed them to Spike. He gaped at them, his brain not comprehending their purpose. 

"The cord," Willow said. She pointed to the umbilical cord that still connected mother to daughter.

"Right," Spike said, doubtful. He knew he had read how to do this, but all knowledge left him. 

He made a tentative, small slice. He eyed his baby and slayer, noting neither winced. He sliced it in two, thankful when it was done. 

The baby was given to Buffy after being cleaned up. The child lay on her mother's chest, while Buffy sank back, exhausted. 

Spike huddled close. His girls. His precious girls. 

Love enveloped the family. They had never known warmth like this.

"I'm so proud of you," Giles said to Buffy. 

She simply grinned at him.

Someone burst into the store. Heads turned to see Dawn. 

"Where were you guys!? I searched everywhere. The hospital. The house. Giles's house. Willow and Tara's. Xander's. And then I had to hide because there were vampires everywhere. What happened?" Then she saw Buffy, Spike, and the baby between them. She was at a loss for words. 

Anya rolled her eyes. "What does it look like? Buffy had her baby." 

"Come here, Dawnie," Buffy requested. "See your niece."

Dawn came over. She knelt, looking down at the perfect little girl. "She's so cute. I can't believe I missed it."

"There wasn't much to it. Just some moans, groans, and pushing," Buffy said. She smiled, her face aglow. 

Laughter spilled out of Dawn. "Yeah right."

"Better get you two to the hospital, luv," Spike told Buffy. 

"In a minute," Buffy said. 

Silence spread over the store. Light spilled in from outside. Spike glanced from the rays outside to the sun held in his daughter's eyes. He knew he was finally forgiven. The sunshine bathed him and he let it soak into his skin. And it felt right. 

_________________________________________________

I read a baby book to write this. So it should be pretty accurate. I wanted to make the birth as real as possible. 


	36. epilogue

Epilogue

Buffy and Spike snuggled on the couch. Their eyes were locked on the display three little kids were making on the floor. Blocks were scattered everywhere and the beginnings of a tower was in progress. 

All of a sudden the building went crash. Five-year-old Alexis stood up. "Daddy, Nicki made it fall!"

Spike leaned forward. "Sunshine, I don't think he meant to."

"I'm Godzilla," Nick declared. 

Sirena started to cry. 

"Oh dear," Buffy muttered. 

There was a knock at the door. Buffy got up to answer it. Xander and Anya stood outside. She quickly let them in. 

"How was Nick?" Xander asked. 

Buffy smiled. "He was fine. Although, he just knocked down a tower Alexi and Sirena were building. He says he's Godzilla."

A laugh escaped Xander. "Yeah, that's his new favorite monster now."

Anya went over to get her son. She took hold of his hand. The little boy looked up at his mother. 

"I didn't mean to make them cry," he told her. 

"I know, honey. Ask before you do it again, all right?"

Nick LeVelle (Anya insisted that Xander's middle name was beautiful) Harris was born a few weeks after Alexis. Anya was in labor longer than Buffy, by about three hours. She screamed throughout the whole thing, declaring she would kill her husband when it was all over. Afterward, she apologized to Buffy and told her that she very brave. 

The Harris family thanked Buffy and Spike for babysitting. Then they left with their son, who was begging for ice-cream.

It wasn't long before Tara and Willow arrived to get Sirena. They had to pry the girl away from her playmate. Alexis and Sirena were practically inseparable. 

Spike and Buffy settled back on the couch. The parents watched as their daughter made a castle. 

"You don't mind watching the other kids, do you?" Buffy asked. 

"Nah, they aren't much trouble," Spike replied. 

She shifted in his arms, gazing up at him. "So, you don't mind being surrounded by children?"

"Well. . ." He leaned down and captured her lips. "I do like occasional breaks. Convenient because your friends have agreed to reciprocate the offer to babysit. And there is always Dawn."

"So. . . You wouldn't mind another one then?"

Spike's eyes bugged out. "What?"

"Alexis kind of forgot to tell us something." Her voice was soft. "She has a baby brother or sister."

There was a span of silence. Buffy looked at Spike. He wasn't moving. 

"Spike?" She shook him. "Spike!?"

He snapped out of it. "Sorry, luv. M' fine, really."

"Geez, scare me half to death."

"So, you're . . .?"

She gave him a tiny smile. "Yeah. Are you okay with it?"

He grinned. "I always wanted seven before I was turned."

"Seven?" his wife squeaked. "We are 'so' not having seven."

"Five?"

"Let's start with two."

"Fine with me, pet. Two to begin with."

_______________________________________________

Okay, this wasn't exactly the way I wanted it, but it'll do. So, that's it, folks. It is done. The End. Now I can start on my post-chosen/post-Destiny fic. Yay! It is going to be called Harmony.


End file.
